Sponsors break en masse with Antwerp after Marc Overmars arrives | football
“The choice to appoint Mr. Overmars, recently calculated for periodic transgressive behavior and against which an independent investigation in the Netherlands is currently still ongoing, is now directly against and standards of our Select Group,” says a statement from the company in Belgian media. . “We are very likely about this decision. As a permanent partner and sponsor of RAFC, we were not mentioned in advance.”
Antwerp presented Overmars as technical director on Monday, six weeks after he had left Ajax as a result of transgressive behavior towards female employees of the club.
Select Groep is therefore no longer the only sponsor of Antwerp who will stop due to the appointment of the Dutchman. “However, we believe data that every person can gain insight after a conscious period of self-reflection,” says Select Groep.
“We therefore deeply regret that the moment was not allowed to pass during the nor to witness, cautiously and deliberately, this process of self-reflection and the insight gained by the management of RAFC by Mr Overmars himself. We have not heard of any carefulness in the communication of choosing how to deal with the problem.”
‘Signal’
Descroes is now also following the example of Select Group. The port company has been a partner of the club for three years and has a two-year agreement with the club, but wants to end it.
“We informed Antwerp this morning that we are canceling the contract,” said co-owner Maxim Van Hoorebeeck of Descroes in Belgian media. “Over the years we have worked on professionalisation and more women in the workplace. We want to make it clear that we do not think like the Antwerp board.”
The company says it has a two-year agreement and that it will bear consequences for the termination of the contract. “It is a pity that the appointment of Overmars was not discussed with the sponsors first.”
Federal Insurance also hands off Antwerp
Federale Verzekering also informed RAFC Antwerp today that it is immediately terminating its sponsorship contract. “The reason for this termination is the appointment of Marc Overmars as technical director. As a sponsor we are not and do not wish to be involved in the personnel policy of the club. We only learned of this appointment through the press, which we regret. Given the nature of the facts, which conflict with our standards and values, we are forced to terminate our sponsorship contract with immediate effect.”
ZNA puts cooperation on hold
With the appointment of Overmars as sporting director of RAFC, Hospital Network Antwerp is putting the collaboration with the club on hold. In concrete terms, this means that ZNA no longer generates money from goods from the club, and will no longer accept proposals to show that they attend a match.
“We have always appreciated the cooperation with the club. If we continue to look our thousands of employees and hundreds of thousands of patients in the eye, we cannot afford to continue. Respect and professionalism are two of our core values. We continue these values in the contacts with and choice of our partners.”
Furthermore, Heylen Vastgoed, one of Antwerp’s sponsors, is also not happy with the club’s approach to Overmars’ appointment. “We have had a conversation with the club in which we have our concerns,” says partner Cedric Vanhencxthoven. “We have urged the club to communicate clearly about the matter, because things were not sufficient in that regard. Furthermore, we hope that the club has done everything in the talks to prevent the facts that have happened in the past from being repeated.”
Port of Antwerp is waiting
An RAFC Board of Directors is scheduled for next week, where the controversial press communication about the new sports director at Antwerp is on the agenda. CEO of Port of Antwerp, Jacques Vandermeiren, independent director of RAFC: “It goes without saying that this will be an extremely important item on the agenda. The theme is me as a person and manager. This is a very important agenda item and social theme, which we as directors wish to discuss directly. The dialogue will be monitored internally at the Board of Directors next week. It is our role as directors to put this high on the agenda. We will communicate after this Board of Directors.”
Port of Antwerp after this Board of Directors will also how to proceed with the sponsorship contract of Royal Antwerp FC.
Many other sponsors also have questions and criticize the club’s lack of communication. “The intention is to talk to all sponsors,” it sounds in a statement at Antwerp. “Some of those conversations have already taken place. Others are scheduled to be pending.”
More about Marc Overmars’ transfer to Antwerp in the football podcast kick off†