As a reminder, several avenues have already been mentioned. Including that of Russian investors who had come to see the match against Charleroi. We imagine that in view of recent events, this track is no longer relevant. We also talked about a Dubai track. And, according to our information, a contact, not very fruitful, also took place between the American Investment Fund “777” and the president of the Standard. The Americans would have retreated given the asking price before falling back on the Brazilian club Vasco da Gama, they who already own the Genoa club in Italy.
Finally, there are those who still seem to be on the track. The latter, no doubt, even if surprisingly we continue to talk about “binding” offers rather than exclusive ones… In the past, these men came from across the Atlantic to visit the club’s facilities and attend the Standard-Bruges match. The Canadian John Chayka (32 years old) and American Jared Porter, ten years his senior. An astonishing American-Canadian partnership. John Chayka became the youngest CEO of an NHL ice hockey club at 26. These were the “Arizona Coyotes“. After having developed a company based on “data” in hockey, he was perceived as a true prodigy in the world of Canadian sport. But his experience in Arizona was not really conclusive. The sports results did not follow. And he was thanked by his club for having had, without the knowledge of his employers, an excessive “flirt” with the “New Jersey Devils”, another NHL club. Worse still, he was suspended by this same NHL until December 31 for violating the regulations in terms of recruiting new players.
As for Jared Porter, he is the former director of “scouting” of the “Boston Red Sox” then general manager of the “New York Mets” in MLB (Major League Baseball). He was also suspended in 2021 and until 2023 for harassment of a journalist (in 2016) to whom he had, in particular, sent photos of his private parts.
These two men would be looking for several investors because they do not have the financial means to take over Standard. Even if Chayka with his wife Kathryn, owns 13 restaurants “franchises of the chain “Wendy’s” in Quebec through their company “JKC Restaurants”. It is the family Vandersmissen (father Guy, and his son Kristof, both players’ agents) who brought these candidates to Sclessin. It is even whispered that Guy could inherit a post of sports director in the future organization chart of Standard in the event of a takeover of the club by these investors.
