French midfielder N’Golo Kante has become the new owner of Belgian third-tier club Royal Excelsior Virton.
According to a statement released on Thursday, the former Chelsea midfielder, who recently made a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia, will take over the club from its previous owner, Flavio Becca, who helped by relieving the Belgian side of all its debt.
The statement read: “Flavio is obviously extremely happy to hand over the keys of the club to N’Golo Kante, a high-class player, not only for his footballing qualities but also and above all for his widely recognised human qualities.”
“Driven by his passion for football, the will of N’Golo Kante is to continue the structuring of the club in order to consolidate its foundations, stabilize the staff and eventually reconnect with the tradition of training RE Virton, via its Youth Academy.
“The club aims to establish its local roots in order to become a driving force in football in Gaume and in the province of Luxembourg.
“Like N’Golo Kante, work, generosity and humility will carry the ambitions of RE Virton for the coming years. With the desire to carry high the colors of Gaume, the province and Wallonia, N’Golo Kante invites all the living forces of the territory to join a project which wants to be unifying and worthy of the supporters of Excelsior. All together, always higher,” they club said under the slogan ‘Small Town, Big Dreams’.
✅???? ???????????????????????????????? | N'Golo Kanté has purchased lower league Belgian club, Royal Excelsior Virton.
Statement: "Kanté's desire is to continue structuring the clubs foundations, stabilise staff and rebuild the club through the academy teams." pic.twitter.com/kapKNFXwOP
— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) June 29, 2023
Kante and his associates will take control of R.E. Virton, who have just been relegated to the third tier of Belgian football after finishing in 12th place and bottom of the Challenger Pro League.
The Stade Yvan Georges outfit also revealed that they are continuing their bid to acquire a professional license, which the Belgian Football Association (URBSFA) has previously denied them.
