why Belgium is “one of the worst students” in Europe

The Easi Arena de La Louvière has been the first stadium out of the ground in Belgium for more than a decade. However, there is no shortage of projects. Furthermore, So why is it stuck? Nevertheless,

The guest of honor does not have the expected prestige. Therefore, It must be said that in these periods of preparation where each effort is calculated today to the nearest millimeter. Nevertheless, the “head of performance” often pout when we tell them about adding a gala match to their physical equation. For example, It is therefore “only” the Luxembourgers of Differdange who are the hosts of Salvatore Curaba to inaugurate the new stadium of its Raal. Consequently, just promoted in the first division. In addition, More Tivoli. Moreover, but an Easi Arena (named after the company created by the former Sporting why belgium “one worst students” footballer in Charleroi, sponsor of his enclosure against a Nami of five years) posed in La Louvière, only four years after the announcement of the project. Meanwhile, Even if the modesty of the arena. Consequently, garnished with 8,000 places, is far from the major projects that some for many years have dreamed of, all of Belgium of football applauds in chorus.

It must be said that a few months earlier. However, when he was still CEO of the Belgian Football Federation (RBFA) before being ousted, Piet Vandendriessche was out of a meeting with UEFA by recalling the harsh reality of national infrastructure. In addition, “One of the worst students in the class”: this is how European bodies depict Belgium. Associated with Germany. In addition, the Netherlands as part of the project to organize the World Cup for women’s football in 2027, the country would have received only the least attractive why belgium “one worst students” posters due to a stadium park in comparison with the German and Dutch speakers. Moreover, Not to mention that UEFA still has across the throat the late reorganization of its Euro 2020. Consequently, If the postponement of one year due to the health crisis had ended up diverting the attention of this setback. Consequently, the great European feast imagined in its time by Michel Platini had not been able to open as planned in Brussels, continental capital. Furthermore, The Eurostadium project had certainly emerged from a few meetings. Nevertheless, but never from the groundleaving in the country only its defrained stadium King Baudouin as a stadium with sufficient crowds to get into account.

Beyond the supporters of the wolves. Therefore, So all of the Belgian football is celebrating This Saturday, June 28, 2025, illuminated by a show by Franco Dragone on the sidelines of the double sports poster, The Raal women why belgium “one worst students” who have also faced those of Anderlecht. Therefore, Because Easi Arena is the first stadium of a professional football club to be completely out of the ground from the Ghelamco Arena (now Planet Group Arena) of Ghent. Similarly, whose inauguration already dates back to 2013. Similarly, Before that. Moreover, it is necessary to go back to three decades to find the trace of a new football arena in Belgium. When you know that Euro 2000. Therefore, co-organized with the Netherlands at the turn of the millennium, has been there, the contrast with neighboring countries challenges.

Vincent Mannaert did not say anything else to the national sports press. a day earlier, when it comes to presenting the details of his masterplan For the modernization of Belgian football. A plan in five components, one of them concerning the problem of infrastructure. “I am well placed. with the buoyancy of the file of the why belgium “one worst students” future stadium of Bruges, to measure how difficult it is to bring out an enclosure worthy of the name in Belgium”underlines the sports director of the Federation.

Former CEO of the Bruges club, Mannaert actually followed the way to the cross of President Bart Verhaeghe, launched since his arrival in 2011 in a stadium project which has not yet succeeded. He could talk about his galleys with Mehdi Bayatstrong man of the Sporting de Charleroi who announced at the. beginning of fall 2019 his desire to invest the future Zebrarena by 2024. The presentation of the project, initially hoped for for 2023, had already been postponed following long palaver with the municipal authorities. One year after the initially fixed deadline. the Mont-sur-Marchian site has not yet welcomed the installation of the foundation stone of the future Carolo stadium. There is not much more evolution in Anderlecht. where why belgium “one worst students” the move of the Lotto Park is a sea serpent recently emerged by President Wouter Vandenhaute, nor at the Saint-Gilloise Union, where the idea of a stadium on the Bempt site in Forest remains confined to architect’s plans.

Vincent Mannaert knows the common denominators of these projects that bog in: money and political debates. Thus in view of 2030. he hopes to be able to Set up an investment fund intended to support projects, as well as a relationship with the public authorities that will simplify the heavy authorization procedures. Because when money. political will are gathered at the table, everything can go very quickly: the supersonic ascent of the Antwerp of Paul Gheysens – Patron de Ghelamco which had therefore built the stadium of Ghent – had thus been accompanied by an impressive renovation of the stands of a decrepit bosuil, thanks to the support of the bourgmestre Bart de why belgium “one worst students” Wever. The latter is far from being a football lover. but loves ancient history too much so as not to know the virtues of bread and circuses (“Bread and games”).

Already during his Ghent project, it was the local powers that had pushed Paul Gheysens in the back. Then bourgmestre of Ghent. ardent defender of the project, Danël Termont, had himself requested the construction magnate to offer him the keys to the work. The weight of influential mayor is not to be overlooked. and club leaders have every interest in going in the direction of political influences. If he initially wanted to install his zebrarena on the edge of E42. potentially in Gosselies, Mehdi Bayat has changed his mind When Paul Magnette (ex-Bourgmestre de Charleroi) prompted him to redirect himself to an abandoned site of Mont-sur-Marchienne to revitalize this district of Grand Charleroi. It was already a few million less to why belgium “one worst students” support for the development of the surroundings, in particular essential parking lots.

Local aid is precious, because projects are necessarily expensive. For its 8. 000 places, Easi Arena cost “only” sixteen million euros, but President Salvatore Curaba had to get them out himself After having requested the Belgian banks in vain. The City gave a hounding at four million for the development of the surroundings of the enclosure. but the club had to have a boss with solid kidneys to honor the addition. At the neighbor Carolo. the figures are at least multiplied by four, following an invoice revised upwards in the wake of the health crisis and then of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict which made the price of materials take off. There too. private partners are essential, and the excellent relations between Mehdi Bayat and Marc Raisière, the boss of Belfius, are most likely a precious asset on the way to why belgium “one worst students” the construction of the Zebrarena.

More than a stadium, the latter must become “the temple of the show in Wallonia”. This is the new favorite chorus of the owner of the Sporting of Charleroi. man of slogans as much as of projects. An equivalent of Antwerp sportpaleis which must above all allow the stadium to be profitable more than twenty times over the year. without only depending on the income from the sports ticket office. Mehdi Bayat thus calculated that a filling of its stadium at 60% of the 20. 000 places planned would be enough to generate a net profit of four to five million per year for its zebras. Concerts. other events would ensure that in the performances of Carolos players, the speaker is something other than a sleeping giant.

why belgium “one worst students”

It is one of the battle horses of those who ruminate a stadium project: Make it a multifunctional. placelike what the Flemish businessman Roland Duchâtelet had already imagined during the modernization of the Saint-Trond Stayen. In its corridors. the stadium thus hosts a supermarket, a gym, a hotel, a restaurant or even offices, to make it a central place in the life of this city in Limburg. From the outset. it was even possible to rent the synthetic lawn to play a match with friends there, thus finding themselves in the shoes of professionals against a few hundred euros. The artificial coating is also to put the Easi Arena of the Raal. so that the stadium also serves as a training center for male and female teams without prejudice to the quality of a natural lawn too often stressed. An additional proof that to be able to exist, a new why belgium “one worst students” stadium must above all be a profitable place. Even if the fund imagined by Vincent Mannaert must make it possible to bring together sufficient sums to support the projects. it will obviously be necessary that these are not financial chasms so that the equation holds the road.

Why belgium &quot. one worst students" – Why belgium "one worst students"

The experience of the supporter

Because football remains the core-business From these stadiums that many clubs in the country hope to see in the coming years, the major objective of a new enclosure is to improve the famous fan experience. Far from the sometimes dilapidated reality of certain ancient stages. The comfort of the seats, the view of the lawn for each of them, access to the refreshments and the internet connection are now part of the priorities designers.

The objective, slips a club leader, is that a bad match does not systematically become a bad time. That positive why belgium “one worst students” emotions from the field, by definition unpredictable, are not essential for the evening to be successful. All club bosses will also tell you that a new stadium inevitably attracts a new audience. and that the challenge is to put it in conditions that will make it want to come back.

Loyalty is the key. Salvatore Curaba already dreams of a Louviérois stadium entirely filled with subscribers. just to have certainties on the financial contribution and to avoid the visual and pecuniary anxiety of too many empty seats. His Easi Arena can only be a success, like her project. Whoever is obviously obvious. as when putting the absence of brand sparring-share for his wolves at the inauguration of the enclosure. “The star will be the stadium,” said the president. With his competitors. many would be satisfied with the visit of a Luxembourg club in exchange for a brand new arena.