Molenbeek decision postponed

Relegation to third division
Jupiler League strugglers RWD Molenbeek and promotion-chasing KV Mechelen have both appealed to the URBSFA's licence committee after being denied a licence. The loss of a licence means relegation to the third division, a fate that has already befallen KSC Eendracht Aalst.

Extra time
The URBSFA initially set a deadline of 25 April for clubs to have been either granted or refused a licence for the 2002/03 season. But now the two clubs have been given some extra time in which to prove their respective cases.

'By 10 May'
URBSFA press officer Nicolas Cornu said: "At first we wanted to complete everything by 25 April but there have been more problems than we had anticipated. Nothing will be decided this week but we hope that a final decision regarding both cases will be reached by the end of the first week or the second week of May. Perhaps by 10 May the issue will be closed."

Charleroi example
Molenbeek, who have debts of €1.5m, had their initial appeal rejected, but filed a second on the basis that they were reforming their licence dossier. In a move similar to that which saved R. Charleroi SC last season, Molenbeek are looking to export all of their assets and liabilities to a new company. If the club then goes into liquidation, all the debts will disappear and they can apply for a licence for the second division, thus saving themselves from falling to the third tier.

Transfer payments
Mechelen lodged their appeal yesterday after being told by the licence committee that they would not be allowed to play in the second division - or Jupiler League if, as expected, they seal promotion - due to payments allegedly owed following the transfer of three players.

Three players
KV are reported to have failed to come up with a €110,000 fee for Luis Guadalupe from Peru's Club Universitario de Deportes and a reputed €390,000  for José del Solar from Turkish outfit Besiktas JK. The licence committee also made reference to Sven Vandenbrouck's move from Roda JC in Holland.

'Never refused to pay'
"It's a disgrace," said manager Geert Lermyte. "We never refused to pay, we just didn't agree with Besiktas's terms. The Belgian association has always backed us in the case with the FIFA. We put all the money in a blocked bank account and I thought this was a sign of our goodwill."