Duchatelet Still Barking

Reading the reports of Sir Chris’ account of his time with Duchatelet sent me off to check to see if the dotty owner of our stadium has been up to anything lately. Seems he’s been upsetting some football fans closer to home, if a piece in Voetbal Belgium is anything to go by. I’ve done little more here than run the piece and associated comments through an autotranslate and added a few words. I think it needs no further explanation; but in the words of Paul Simon, still crazy after all these years, and still mired deep in self-denial.

It seems that in the wake of the failed European Super League there has been talk of a ‘BeNeLiga’. The report says that Duchatelet does not expect that will come to fruition either. “The people who are against the BeNeLiga are idiots, who have self-interest or who don't think carefully,” says Roland Duchâtelet at PlaySports. "Or they should have gone to school longer, because they are stupid. Humanity has more fools than intelligent people. That is unfortunate, but that is the fate of humanity”, said the former chairman and owner of Sint-Truiden VV, Standard Liège, Charlton Athletic, CD Alcorcon and CZ Jena.

It seems these comments sparked a “massive response at Voetbal International. A selection of those responses:

“Perhaps if he had done things smarter himself, he could have learned at school that addressing people like that in a derogatory and inappropriate way only arouses aversion. What an idiot he is!” 

“So Mr. Duchâtelet calls me stupid while he doesn't even know me, and with me several million people.”

“Just as crazy as that president of Real Madrid and Barca, but in miniature. There is nothing wrong with self-interest, but to call other people stupid idiots is a sign of lack of self-reflection.”

"So everyone with a different opinion or train of thought to him is a fool according to him ..."

“This is another one in the “you either agree with me or you're a penguin” category. Certain politicians also like to use this style. If Duchâtelet really had a good plan, he wouldn't have to vomit this nonsense.” 

"Spoke the man who helped Charlton, Ujpest, Standard and Sint-Truiden to their destruction." 

“That is very mature, people with a different opinion than you are called stupid. Come up with arguments and start the conversation. Scolding people is really not going to help. That only makes me an even bigger opponent.”

“The trick to morally dismiss people with a different opinion as stupid, I know it all, is very hip. But that is precisely what is not very intelligent. Convince people with arguments, respect a different opinion.”

“Sorry, but if you need such strong wording to convince people that the majority is wrong and you have the wisdom, then I don't trust it.”

“So this Belgian dismisses a large part of the Dutch people as stupid? Well… that helps to bring people closer together”.