Federal prosecutor Ebe Verhaegen (below) reported the call from the CEO of Union (above).
Federal prosecutor Ebe Verhaegen has reported to the Football Association of “inappropriate contact by the CEO of Union”. After the email in which Verhaegen announced that the federal public prosecutor’s office would appeal against Burgess’ suspension, Philippe Bormans called the federal prosecutor, a conversation that did not sit well with the latter.
Michael Van Damme, Valerie Van Avermaet
Today at 11:18
Sporza journalist Peter Vandenbempt said in the morning on Radio 1 that Union CEO Philippe Bormans expressed his dissatisfaction with the appeal of the federal public prosecutor’s office against the suspension of Christian Burgess in telephone calls to the federal prosecutor and even Piet Vandendriessche, CEO of the Football Association. According to Vandenbempt, there could even be “an attempt to influence”.
The fact is that after receiving the email, Bormans called federal attorney Ebe Verhaegen for about seven minutes, who then officially reported that conversation to the Football Association because it did not sit well with him.
“The union prosecutor has indeed reported inappropriate contact by the CEO of Union,” the Football Association confirms to our editors. “By reporting this, the impartiality of the federal public prosecutor’s office is assured.”
Union did not want to respond today, but will do so at the hearing tomorrow at 2 p.m. in Tubize, where the appeal will be heard.
Wrong interpretation
The Disciplinary Committee had reduced the suspension for the Union mainstay to one matchday, meaning the defender would have been suspended against Cercle Brugge, but could play again against Anderlecht. Since the appeal has a suspensive effect, Burgess would have been suspended against Anderlecht as a result of the appeal, something which is of course less convenient for Union.
To complete the soap opera: Union left Burgess in the stands against Cercle on Sunday, because the club misinterpreted the communication from the Football Association. Union points the finger at the federal public prosecutor’s office for this.