September 17: After a row with Pascale Van Damme, Peter Willems has left the Belgian Football Association (KBVB) as CEO.
In the latest crisis to rock Belgian football, FIFA Council member Van Damme was at loggerheads with Willems, who has now stepped down from his role.
In a statement this Wednesday, the KBVB wrote: “Working in a demanding environment, he – together with the different departments of the Football Federation – contributed, among other things, to the current good financial situation of the federation.
“The KBVB would like to sincerely thank Peter Willems for his commitment to Belgian football and wish him the best in his future projects.”
Willems was appointed CEO of the KBVB in September 2024, succeeding Piet Vandendriessche. Earlier that year, he had joined the football association as director of refereeing. He turned around the finances of the Belgian FA, which suffered a loss of 12 million euros in 2024. The organization is on the verge of turning a profit.
But that wasn’t enough to keep him in his role. During the World Cup, tensions between Van Damme and Willems increased over the Balogun saga. The American striker’s suspension was lifted ahead of the round of 16 tie against Belgium after US President Donald Trump called FIFA chief Gianni Infantino. Van Damme took his seat next to Infantino during the match, which caused controversy in Belgium.
Van Damme was understandably keen to protect his relationship with Infantino. As a member of the FIFA Council, he earns $250,000 a year for participating in a handful of meetings. On the eve of the World Cup final, Van Damme also attended the ‘FIFA reception’ at Trump Tower where Infantino and Trump took center stage. She came to power in 2023 as the first female president of the KBVB.
Contact the writer of this story, Samindra Kunti, at (email protected)
