Claessens heading back to Belgium
Sunday, December 28, 2003
Article summary
KRC Genk have signed Gert Claessens in a deal which will see Theo Janssen return to SBV Vitesse.
Article body
SBV Vitesse and KRC Genk have announced a player exchange which will see former Belgian international Gert Claessens return to his homeland and Dutch midfield player Theo Janssen rejoin the Gelredome club in the new year.
Four caps
No financial details of the deal have been disclosed but Claessens, who won four Belgium caps during his time with Club Brugge KV, will move back to the club he represented in the early 1990s on 1 January 2004. The 31-year-old, who would have been out of contract in the summer had he not signed the three-and-a-half-year deal, said: "For me personally it is excellent. I live close to Genk and on sporting grounds it also looks excellent."
Loan spell
Former Netherlands youth international Janssen has a contract with Vitesse until 2006 but joined Genk on loan during the summer. The 22-year-old has featured in all but two of Genk's 17 league games so far this season, scoring twice, but the Fenix Stadion club have decided against their option of making his stay in Belgium permanent.
