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Has the CEO of Union, Philippe Bormans, overstepped his bounds? In the suspension procedure of his defender Christian Burgess, he called the CEO of the Football Association and the union prosecutor. The latter reported an “inappropriate contact” to the KBVB.
Not only on the field has Union missed its start in the play-offs, off the field the competition leader also seems to be in a corner. The football association’s attorney general, Ebe Verhaegen, reported last weekend of “inappropriate contact by the CEO of Union”, Philippe Bormans. Verhaegen was called by Bormans after he had informed by email that the federal public prosecutor’s office was appealing against the one-match suspension for Union defender Christian Burgess. Federal prosecutor Verhaegen had demanded two effective playing days for the red card that Burgess received by deliberately throwing a ball into the face of an opponent during a throw-in.
The appeal by the public prosecutor’s office was a blow for Union, which had hoped to allow Burgess to serve his day of suspension against Cercle Brugge – a match that Union lost 2-3. Now Burgess can only be suspended after the appeal is heard today, which means he will more than likely miss the crucial match at Anderlecht next Sunday.
According to federal prosecutor Verhaegen, Bormans’ call lasted seven minutes and the conversation was “extremely unpleasant”. Bormans also contacted other people at the association on Saturday, including CEO Piet Vandendriessche. Vandendriessche also reported the contact to the association.
Impartial
To guarantee proper legal proceedings, the federal public prosecutor’s office and the disciplinary chambers work independently within the football association. It is not the first time that club leaders of (professional) football clubs want to exert their influence within the football association. This is the first time this has been reported publicly. The football association says that the report “ensures the impartiality of the federal public prosecutor’s office”.
Bormans himself does not risk any punishment for his “inappropriate contact”, the association confirms. As CEO, he is not a member of the association. A possible punishment could only have hit the Union club. But such a punishment would have to be demanded by the federal prosecutor, who is an involved party in this case. On Tuesday in the Burgess case, another attorney, Gilles Blondeau, will argue on behalf of the federal public prosecutor’s office. Verhaegen is on a skiing holiday.
Union responded to the fuss on Monday afternoon. “The club and its CEO regret the tendentious and incorrect reporting regarding the Burgess case,” it said in a statement. Union believes that it was not informed by the football association in time – before the expiry of the appeal period, Sunday afternoon at 12 noon – about the appeal by the union attorney. It reserved its rights by ultimately not allowing Burgess, who was eligible to play, to play against Cercle.
“With regard to the reporting regarding alleged contacts that would have taken place in order not to file the appeal, the club distances itself from these unproven and unjustified insinuations,” the Brussels residents write.
