Olympic has never been so close to the Challenger Pro League: “going up becomes essential,” says Lucien Roméo, the Boss of Dogues

Mr. Romeo, in recent years, it seemed complicated for Olympic to have the license …

“My predecessors may not have the money. They were certainly no less competent than me. What is asked to ensure the sustainability of the club and to be able to face the budget of next season. It is quite special, quite restrictive even. I can understand their reservations, but they sometimes went to check for small details. I do not know if we were discriminated against, I do not know what they do with the other clubs, but (NdlR : CQ) And our reviewer sometimes spent days to respond to their requests. They checked until the last comma. “

What has often been problematic is Neuville …

“The land will be put back in accordance. It must be expanded by a meter. We will sacrifice the first row of the stands. The work has already started. We must also add 600 seats, which we will do with a tubular gallery that we will rent. We will be ready.”

For the start of the championship? However, we mentioned the use of Sporting …

“We needed a plan B and we have been betting at the most in a hurry. But we will start the season with us. At € 80,000 per game, we will not go to Mambourg. Obviously, the Neuville is dilapidated and we must bring it up to date. We have re -situated the convention with the city for the field, but we would finally like to be with us. We are waiting for the emphyteutic lease. of 5 million euros. But for that, I want us to be with us. “

It is often said that the average age of supporters is very old and that it is difficult to fill the Neuville …

“There is real public potential in Charleroi. As for the average age, this is not false, but we have 500 young people on whom we intend to bring their friends. A marketing plan also exists to grow assistance. To attract people, the sportsman must also be attractive.”

Is the club ready for the Pro League?

“It is obvious that we will have to take a course. The priority will be to create a commercial unit with Full Time and no longer volunteers, which help us a lot but on whom we have no right to look. Mounting would allow us to have the TV rights that would give time to advance the rest. For the backgrounds, we must be able to market the players. A sale can help for a season. In D1acff, we are not in this market.”

So it’s almost an obligation to go up?

“Yes. The D1ACFF does not bring in TV rights and does not attract a lot of sponsors or the spectator. And then, we have invested a lot of money. I have injected a lot of funds for two years. Not going up would mean reducing the wing. I have given a lot. It is important to me that we were going up. I already knew it at the start of the season. After the Haegeman episode (Editor’s note: President who remained a few months)I was at the crossroads. We were so caught up in time that we did not manage to already set up the commercial cell. Now we will have to do it. More generally, the ideal would be to copy the Raal model. Look at the number of partners and shareholders! I already wanted to do it in Namur, but not being around, it was complicated. If we want to last in the professional world, you also need football professionals, if only to market players. Personally, I don’t know too much. We are also open to investors, to interested parties. Increasing the number of employees to advance the machine is priority. “The classification of playoffs in D1acff

* The DOGUES are five points ahead of two games from the end. A victory Sunday will sacre the Carolos. If Tubize does not win on Saturday, the Olympic will be champion before playing in Stockay. In case of equality at the end of the playoffs, the number of victories in the playoffs will determine the champion. If equality persists, a test match will be organized.