Vandenhaute steps down from Anderlecht chair as club set for board reshuffle

 

Anderlecht have confirmed the resignation of Wouter Vandenhaute (pictured), the Belgian club’s chairman since 2020.

Last week, Vandenhaute offered his resignation, citing a muddled relationship with club owner Marc Coucke. The club’s board has accepted the resignation. Vandenhaute will remain a minority shareholder. Together with Greet Duyck from CVC, he controls 26% of the club’s shares.

Five years ago, Vandehaute became an advisor at the club before moving into the chairman’s role. As both minority shareholder and president, Vandenhaute made the controversial decision to dismiss Vincent Kompany as manager in 2022, a move that deepened the club’s instability. The following year, he announced he would step back into the position of non-executive chairman.

In a statement, the club said: “The board of directors and management have discussed the strategic, structural and sporting situation critically and transparently, and are determined to continue building the future of the club.”

Vandenhaute had repeatedly come under fire with the pressure becoming untenable after disappointing results in recent weeks. Anderlecht were eliminated early from European club competition and lost the local derby against Union.

In 2017, Coucke took over the club, but Anderlecht have not won a league title since. The former KV Oostende owner will have to formulate a new plan as Anderlecht look set for another season of transition, full of boardroom shuffles.