Payment deferral stalls Antwerp takeover, ownership talks intensify

Paul Gheysens, the owner of Royal Antwerp FC, has been granted a payment deferral by the loan fund Fasanara after missing the June 30, 2026 deadline to repay a €10 million loan – some sources mention €6.5 million – keeping the club out of immediate takeover.

The deferral suggests Fasanara believes Gheysens can reach an agreement on selling part or all of his shares to settle the debt. Negotiations are ongoing, with possibilities ranging from a foreign buyer to a consortium led by media entrepreneur Wouter Vandenhaute.

The June 30 deadline also marked the expiry of many player contracts and the contract of CEO Sven Jaecques, who is currently not employed by the club. If the Vandenhaute consortium assumes control, Jaecques is expected to remain as Antwerp’s chief executive.

The ownership uncertainty has already affected the sporting side; Antwerp currently has no permanent head coach, with former player Faris Haroun temporarily overseeing training sessions. According to reports, the club is not pursuing new coaching candidates until the ownership question is resolved.

Yesterday, the loan contracts of players Dennis Janssen, Jannes Kerk, Alejandro Benitez, Timothy Praet, Michael Engels, Karim Babadi and Ibrahima Diawara officially ended. Additionally, players Van den Bosch, Corbanie and Kouyaté have already moved on, leaving the squad heavily depleted.

Only a handful of relatively experienced Belgian players – Jelle Foulon, Stijn Hairemans, Jeroen Somers and Thomas Van Helden – remain on the roster, and the club hopes that a swift resolution will allow it to rebuild a competitive side for the upcoming season.

“Over four years, saying goodbye at a World Cup in Spain would be the most beautiful thing,” said Thierry Courtois, reflecting on his son Thibaut Courtois’s future with the Belgian national team.

Youth director Jean Kindermans expressed optimism, stating, “I am happy: young players are breaking through at Antwerp and Anderlecht is becoming itself again,” underscoring the importance of academy talent for both clubs.

The next steps hinge on whether a sale agreement is reached before the start of the new campaign, as the club’s ability to sign new players and appoint a permanent coach depends on the outcome of the ownership talks.

The analysis was prepared by journalists Yanko Beeckmanen and Niels Vleminckx.