N’Golo Kante has taken over ownership of Belgian third-tier club Royal Excelsior Virton.
The midfielder parted ways with Chelsea earlier this month to join Saudi Arabian champions Al-Ittihad.
The 2018 World Cup champion accepted a contract worth ten times more than the one given to him by the Premier League club.
On Thursday morning, it was revealed that the 32-year-old had invested some of the money he will earn in the future years in becoming the owner of a football team.
Kante and his friends have agreed on terms to take up Royal Excelsior Virton, who was recently demoted to Belgium’s third division.
R.E. Vitron finished 12th and bottom of the Challenger Pro League, missing out on survival by a point, and Kante will be in charge of rebuilding at Stade Yvan Georges.
Kante succeeds Flavio Becca, with the club stating in an official statement that the retiring owner had relieved the club of all debt.
With regards to Kante, it added: “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 colours 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. Altogether, always higher.”
According to the statement, R.E. Vitron is continuing its effort to get a professional licence, which is presently being refused by the Belgian Football Association (URBSFA).
Source:SPORTSMOLE
