The future of KFC Uerdingen remains uncertain shortly before the end of the season. Board member Bernd Limberg is calling for insolvency and consolidation in the top division.

The board of KFC Uerdingen had already written to fans and members on Saturday and also wrote about a possible application for insolvency. Bernd Limberg is still a member of this board until the end of June – although he is no longer operationally active. In an interview with the “Westdeutsche Zeitung” newspaper, he explained that he had “been denied access to accounts and financial accounting by the remaining board members without comment” and has not been involved since.

“Unfortunately, this process was carried out with all employees close to the board who have a different opinion on the continuation of the club,” explained Limberg, for whom consolidation of the club in the Oberliga Niederrhein is inevitable.

The club wants to announce by Thursday what the financial situation is and whether it will exercise its right to promotion. Forecasting has learned that Limberg will also be allowed to speak to the board of directors the day before, on Wednesday, and present his exact concept for KFC.

The management consultant has already outlined his plans for the Krefeld club in the “WZ” newspaper: “Nobody wants our club to go bankrupt. But nobody is asking what we want. The decision on this is based on facts, if only because the board is personally liable and must not be guilty of delaying insolvency.”

Limberg accuses the Executive Board and Board of Directors of “dubious planning”

The 56-year-old speaks of “dubious planning by the Executive Board and Board of Directors”, who “have now installed a first chairman for the third time in Christian Gummert” and “have not sufficiently checked his background.” Gummert is currently in custody. “The main sponsors or lenders he brought with him were also not screened. This has resulted in very high financial damage to the club, not to mention the damage to its image.” The club has not yet seen a cent of the 500,000 euros promised to the club in a loan agreement concluded by former board members Marc Schürmann and Ilja Ludenberg. Entrepreneur Gummert stepped in, but was unable to transfer the installment agreed for May 10 due to his arrest, resulting in a liquidity gap of around 80,000 euros.

Limberg had already called for insolvency before Gummert took over. “That is my duty as a member of the Management Board,” he emphasized. Meanwhile, the plans of the other board members were “based on a very shaky principle of hope”.

Insolvency must still be applied for in the current season. This would mean that the nine points due would be deducted in the current season and Ratingen, currently five points behind KFC in fourth place, would have the chance – if they finish the season in the top three – to be promoted. Two games are still to be played. “Going into the new season with a nine-point deduction cannot be the goal,” clarified Limberg, who is calling for “fundamental structures” if the club wants to finally break out of the hamster wheel of perpetual existential trembling.”

Currently, the association is “managed in a landlord-like manner by majority decisions of two board members and, as a result, by rope teams”, explained Limberg. “The association urgently needs a solution-oriented approach and not a problem-oriented one. That’s why I developed a concept for a positive continuation forecast in the event of insolvency and for a structural reorganization of the association together with several people who are all specialists in their field. “

The tactic of the acting board members to keep the members of the club in the dark and celebrate the promotion first is not acceptable to me.

Bernd Limberg

He had also put together this plan because he – although no longer operationally active – would also be obliged and liable as a board member in the event of a delay in filing for insolvency. “Filing for insolvency also serves to protect my family on a personal level. For these reasons, I presented my opinion to the local court in the week before Pentecost. The tactics of the acting board members to leave the members of the club in the dark and celebrate promotion first is not acceptable to me.”

For Limberg, promotion would be “simply irresponsible” anyway due to the rising costs. “In addition to the existing liabilities, there is a promotion bonus for the team that was not included in the budget, and various contracts are being extended and increased for some employees, even for people who are no longer actively involved with the club. Travel costs increase due to trips to Paderborn or Rödinghausen. Due to the chaos of the last few weeks, there are contracts with people we don’t want to work with at all, which doesn’t change the validity of these contracts.”

Offer failed at first attempt due to retention plans

The association must now “rise above everything”, emphasized Limberg. “We have now submitted our offer to the committees for the second time. The impression was given that we would have to woo the board of directors and the honorary council in order to be heard. As a result, we are losing more valuable time. And in a situation like this, I can’t understand where you get the arrogance to offend potential supporters and sponsors like this. This behavior has cost us many sponsors and put us in this situation.” In future, the declared transparency must also be put into practice.

Limberg submitted his offer to the Board of Directors even before Gummert took over. “This also includes the provision of a potent insolvency estate. In addition to a very decent basic sum in the low six-figure range secured by various individuals and sponsors, our concept also provided for the financial participation of those who are responsible for our current situation – the members of the Board of Directors. We believe this is legitimate.” However, the Board of Directors saw things differently, which is why the talks came to an end at this point. “They no longer wanted to listen to the financial concept from the point of the deductible and broke off the presentation with reference to the advanced time. “

There’s no alternative to consolidating the club in the top division, even if that means lowering our standards for a few years.

Bernd Limberg

So the decision was made in favor of Gummert, “without a sporting and structural concept, who had nothing to contribute apart from cash.” Now they are once again “facing a shambles”. In order to sweep this aside, a restructuring is necessary after insolvency has been averted. “The club needs clear assignments and clear areas of responsibility. With people who have the necessary expertise, who can draw up clear guidelines and ensure their implementation. People who work with commitment and passion and don’t see the club as a personal stage are important,” demanded Limberg, who clarified: “We need to be able to build up reserves. There is no alternative to consolidating the club in the top division, even if that means lowering our standards for a few years.”

In this case, Limberg would have “an absolutely competent team of several people at his side who are more than familiar with the top division and can also put together a squad in a short space of time. The names are available to the board of directors.” And changes are also needed in terms of communication, for which Limberg and his team already have personnel. “Public relations work urgently needs to be coordinated. It is absolutely incomprehensible to me why a press spokesperson has been introduced and then his skills are not used and instead we issue our own disastrous press releases that raise more questions than answers from the public.”

According to the club itself, it will attempt to provide answers again on Thursday evening at the latest – on whether it will continue with or without insolvency and whether it will make use of its right to promotion. According to information from RS, Limberg will try to convince the board of directors on Wednesday to stay in the top division, including insolvency