Wouter Vandenhaute (63) has announced his resignation as chairman of Anderlecht to the Board of Directors. He informed the members of the Board of Directors of the Brussels premier league football club in an email. The decision comes just days after he once again came under heavy criticism from Anderlecht fans.
The supporters' protests during the derby against Union came after a dramatic week that also saw the team's elimination from European competition.
The fact that Anderlecht lost again and this time to its city rival did not help, of course. Chairman Wouter Vandenhaute had to endure the wrath of the fans as they displayed banners and chanted until he left the stadium.
This is not the first time that Vandenhaute has been targeted by the supporters, but his situation has become increasingly untenable. This has certainly been exacerbated by the internal conflict between main shareholder Marc Coucke and the duo Wouter Vandenhaute-Geert Duyck, which was increasingly becoming public knowledge.
On Sunday, Coucke posted a telling statement on his Instagram account saying that there would be ‘further clarification’ today, but Vandenhaute took the decision himself and communicated it to the members of the Board of Directors in an email.
In a statement, he announced that he is stepping down as chairman. The Board of Directors must now decide whether the club wants to and can continue with Vandenhaute in his current position.
The Board of Directors will meet on Friday to discuss his position as chairman and then make a decision.