Former Chelsea midfielder, N’Golo Kante, has purchased a third-division team in Belgium, Royal Excelsior Virton.
The 32-year-old France player will take over as the owner of the club near the Luxembourg border on July 1 after Flavio Becca resigns.
On the same day, he will move from Chelsea of the Premier League to Al-Ittihad of the Saudi Arabian Pro League.
When the Belgian squad receives their professional license, they will play in Belgian National Division 1 in the 2023-2024 season.
The amount N’Golo Kante paid for Excelsior Virton has not been made public yet.
The club claims that it is debt-free and that a board of directors will be elected soon.
After Kante sealed the takeover deal on Thursday, June 29, the club said in a statement, “Flavio is extremely happy to be able to hand over the keys of the club to N’Golo Kante.
“[He is] a player of great class, not only for his footballing qualities but also and above all for his unanimously recognized human qualities.”
Before he was discovered by Caen in 2013, Kante began his professional career in the French national amateur league in Boulogne.
Before moving to Chelsea, he assisted Leicester City in winning the Premier League during the 2015–16 campaign.
Kante won the Premier League, Europa League, FA Cup, and Champions League while at Chelsea. He contributed significantly to France’s World Cup victory in 2018, as well.
