ADO express confidence in Chinese owner

Despite some worries earlier this month Dutch soccer club ADO Den Haag has confidence in the cooperation with Chinese owner United Vansen (UVS), a ADO spokesperson told Xinhua.

   ADO's general director Jan Willem Wigt said at a press conference on December 7 that the deadline for two installments by United Vansen has passed and he urged United Vansen boss Wang Hui to pay before a stakeholders meeting, scheduled for December 18.

   This deadline passed and the meeting of shareholders was postponed due to Wang's failure to show up. Nevertheless, one day later ADO announced that both parties reached a financial solution.

   "The money is not there yet, but we expect it one of forthcoming days," spokesman Ronald van der Geer told Xinhua on Tuesday. "Based on conversations and the things we saw, we are confident that the transactions are on their way."

   But van der Geer refused to unveil how much money is coming in.

   He also emphasized that ADO was "absolutely not" in financial trouble and that the salaries of players and employees were paid as usual and will be paid as usual.

   After the contract was signed in July 2014 the take-over of ADO Den Haag by United Vansen became definite when the Chinese sports marketing company fulfilled all its financial obligations in January this year. UVS paid around 8 million euros for 98 percent of the shares of the Dutch Eredivisie club.

   As part of the deal the owner paid around 1.5 million euros last season, and in the current season (2015/2016) he would pay around 3.7 million euros (4.05 million U.S. dollars) in total, payable in three installments. The Chinese company would pay 700,000 euros before September 30 and another 1.2 million euros before November 30.

   Wang said in an interview with Xinhua that he found all the tension in the Netherlands a bit exaggerated, but he also understood it.

   "The problems are a result of cultural misunderstandings," he said. "We still have to get used to each other."

   According to Wang, the payments take so long because of China's regulations on doing business abroad.

   "Foreign payments have to go through a series of procedures," he added. 

   Despite stories in Dutch media, like in soccer magazine Voetbal International and newspaper NRC, that ADO's confidence in Wang turned low, spokesperson Van der Geer emphasized that that is not the case.

   "We have a lot of confidence in the cooperation with United Vansen and Mr. Wang," Van der Geer said. "There were cultural differences and that is acknowledged by both parties, but we have come together. Small misunderstandings are gone."

   "We are all ADO, United Vansen, Mr. Wang and the club," concluded the spokesman. "And so we continue, as a unity."  Endi