The Appeals Council Volley Vlaanderen, which is investigating the appeal case of former national coach Gert Vande Broek regarding psychological cross-border behaviour in volleyball, ruled today that the previous claim of the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office against Gert Vande Broek is unfounded and indicates that no disciplinary sanction should be imposed.

At Volley Vlaanderen, we naturally respect the decision of the Appeals Board. We understand that such matters have a significant impact on all parties involved. However, the return of Gert Vande Broek to the Flemish federation is not under consideration.

Our focus at Volley Vlaanderen remains steadfast on creating a safe volleyball environment for all our athletes and sports staff. To this end, we have taken several steps in recent years:

• We established confidential contact points (APIs) both within our federation and in our clubs, where athletes can turn with questions or complaints about transgressive behavior. These contact points are regularly provided with necessary training and awareness.
• We developed ethical codes of conduct for athletes, sports staff, and administrators.
  

The new board is convinced of the vital importance of a safe and ethical sports climate and has expanded its ethical advisory body with external experts.

“In terms of sports, we are ambitious, but we remain consistently attentive to the mental and physical health of our athletes and staff. This is our commitment, and as a federation, we will continue to strongly prioritize this in the future,” concludes Filip Buijs, general director of Volley Vlaanderen.