'Humbled' Michael Beale refunds fans personally after latest embarrassing defeat

Beale personally refunded Zulte Waregem fans their ticket money after a 3-0 defeat, the club's fourth loss in a row that dropped them to tenth place.

Michael Beale has taken the unusual step of personally refunding travelling supporters their ticket price following Zulte Waregem's 3-0 defeat at La Louviere. The loss marked the Belgian club's fourth consecutive defeat, leaving them tenth in the top flight.

Beale, who took the Zulte Waregem job in the summer after his ten-month spell as Rangers manager ended in October 2023, spoke to fans after the match to inform them of the refund. "I feel sorry for the fans who came here on a horrible evening," he said. "This is not an accurate reflection of the club and the players. We were not good enough. So I will personally refund our fans their ticket price. I don't want them to have to pay for a team that puts on such a performance."

Beale acknowledged the performance was "humbling" and called for significant improvement, saying many players need to raise their game as the club faces a long and difficult season ahead.