Everton’s potential new owners 777 Partners are facing increasing criticism at Standard Liege, where players are still waiting to be paid once again.
That’s according to De Morgen, who cover the American group today and provide even more concerns for Everton to consider about their potential new owners.
The newspaper reports that the net is closing around 777 Partners, who are facing a fraud cause involving more than €350m in the United States.
While that’s ongoing, the issues at Standard Liege are not going away either as former chairman Bruno Venanzi and the current shareholders at the club are uniting to seize 777’s assets.
De Morgen explain payment arrears at the club are now clearly affecting the squad, with right-back Marlon Fossey alluding to as much after the weekend defeat to OH Leuven.
“Maybe, maybe not,” he said when asked if there was a lack of fighting ability in the squad.
“That (late payments) is beyond our control. We need to know our place and do what we are paid to do… When we are paid.”
That led the newspaper to enquire at the club about what’s going on and they learned that wages for April have still not been paid, the ‘umpteenth time’ this season such a thing has happened.
The club’s management are insistent that it will be solved by Thursday, but Standard players are cynical on that matter, especially given recent reports in the US regarding 777.
“We read the newspapers and hear things. It doesn’t help at all,” added Fossey.
Lack of payments is nothing new and even the aforementioned previous owners are still waiting for 777 to pay up.
The shareholders of Immobilière du Standard and former owner Venanzi should have received the second instalment for the sale of the club before the end of April. Venanzi is owed €5m and the Immobilière group €3.5m.
However, 777 Partners dispute those figures and will only pay if forced to do so. That’s led the pair to unite, yesterday filing a complaint to freeze the American company’s accounts.
That’s caused unrest at the club, where they’ve grown fed up with a lack of clarification from the group, leading to everyone ‘longing for clarity’ on the matter. Some players have already given up, with Steven Alzate heading back to Brighton before his loan deal has even ended.
The lack of a sporting plan is also causing annoyance, while internally there are plenty of rumours circulating that 777 want to sell up.
All of this should be yet another sign for Everton, and in particular Farhad Moshiri, that it is time to end his association to the group once and for all and look for a new buyer for the Toffees.
Whether he pays attention, remains to be seen.
