Charlton Athletic owner slams his own fans and Addicks club legend Chris Powell
Roland Duchatelet infuriates CARD protesters even further with latest remarks made on Belgian television
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CHARLTON owner Roland Duchatelet has infuriated fans AGAIN after dubbing them as “dumb” on Belgian television.
The Addicks chairman also verbally attacked former boss and club legend Chris Powell as he fanned the flames of his bitter relationship with the League One side’s supporters.
Powell, who was manager when the mogul bought the south east London side in 2013, was also called “dumb” too for not using players signed by the chief from his European network of clubs.
Furious fans want the money-man to sell the club – but Duchatelet told viewers in his homeland that those protesting against his ownership were not acting in the interests of Charlton.
He claimed: “They are activists acting out of other considerations than pure interests of the club.
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“Of course when things are not going well with the club…it is not the first time. It is the third time.
“They started it when I let that famous trainer go – the one who was only getting a point per match.
“Then Jose Riga came in and with all the other players that the other coach had said were bad players, got 1.5 points per match and saved the club, then it all stopped.
“If the coach could not understand, that he was getting help, and threw that help in the rubbish bin, when he was getting all these players whom he didn’t know, and he thinks he can continue without the advice from outside, well, then he is not a clever person and those who think the same are also not clever.”
He added: “In principle we were giving them the advice so they had responsibility and could take responsibility and that is how we work. I find it very stupid that a person who is getting help, an important person for the club, does not accept it. I also find that the activists, some activists at the club, who from their reactions think the coach was right, well they are just stupid people too.
“We had of course thoroughly investigated everything with our scouts before [the sale], screened all the players one by one, what they were good at it, what they were not good at, the kind of mistakes they made etc.
“Our scouts knew them much better, I think, than the coach who was there. Then we also brought in half a dozen players whom we knew and the coach didn’t know and we tried to help the man, while the team were more or less last in the division.”
When quizzed on when he will sell the club, he was unclear on his future plans.
Duchatelet added: “Look, no, yes, well, I got into football in the first place as a sponsor. I think I have done a reasonable job but I am also not planning to be doing this forever.”
A CARD (Coalition Against Roland Duchatelet) spokesperson added: “This latest outburst shows that Duchatelet has learned nothing from his three years of failure at The Valley. He still cannot acknowledge his mistakes and insults Charlton’s fans and heroes alike.
“He hasn’t even bothered to attend a match since October 2014, yet he questions OUR support for the club. He needs to go now before he does even more damage.”