Although there seems to be little support for the BeNeLiga in the Netherlands, there are very different voices from Belgium about a joint competition. Former Standard Liège chairman Roland Duchâtelet lashes out hard on Belgian television at opponents of the BeNeLiga, who he thinks are ‘idiots’ and ‘stupid people’.
In March it was announced that the clubs from the Belgian Pro League are unanimously behind the idea of a BeNeLiga. It means that a joint competition with the Netherlands will be seriously investigated in Belgium. Five clubs from Belgium – Anderlecht, Club Brugge, AA Gent, KRC Genk and Standard Liège – and six clubs from the Netherlands – Ajax, AZ, FC Utrecht, Feyenoord, PSV and Vitesse – have been sitting around the table since 2019 to discuss a possible BeNeLiga. On the basis of a study by research firm Deloitte, enough leads were seen to seriously discuss the set-up of a joint competition. Thus, the total income would increase by approximately 300 million euros.
There are also disadvantages to a joint competition. For example, Belgium and the Netherlands are currently both entitled to five tickets for European football. That number is halved with a joint BeNeLiga. Former Standard Liège chairman Duchâtelet, however, does not want to hear about dissent. “A rational person has to be one hundred percent for that,” says the former director, who was in charge of Standard between 2012 and 2015, in the program. President from Play Sports.
Would Duchâtelet think the same way about the Super League …? ???? pic.twitter.com/wAhB8GJdlj
– Play Sports (@playsports) April 22, 2021
Duchâtelet is tough on the competition’s opponents. “The people who are against it are idiots, who have self-interest or who don’t think carefully. Or they should have gone to school longer, because they are stupid ones,” said the Belgian, who does not believe that there will ever be a BeNeLiga. “No, because humanity is more stupid than intelligent people. That is a shame, but that is the fate of humanity.”