Charlton Athletic chief executive Katrien Meire defended owner Roland Duchatelet’s ambitions for the club at a meeting for VIP fans at The Valley last night.

In front of a selected audience of invited supporters, she spoke on the club’s short and long-term ambitions, as discontent among the wider fanbase has risen in recent months.

The Addicks have won just one game in their last 14 in the Championship and last month Belgian owner Duchatelet appointed the club’s fourth manager, Guy Luzon, in less than a year following the dismissal of Bob Peeters.

“Of course Duchatelet cares about the club,” said Meire.

“What unites us all here is the love and passion for the club - and that should be the starting point for us to work together, communicate and bring the club back to where it belongs.

“Our aim has always been since we came here to create a stable and competitive Championship club.

“Apart from that, it’s a vision of the owner - like he does with his other clubs - that a football club becomes a gathering point where you meet your friends and family and have a good time.

“You enjoy the football, you have a beer and a laugh and you go home with a good feeling.”

Charlton’s transfer policy has come under question with nine permanent or loan signings made from Duchatelet’s other club Standard Liege, while Luzon was sacked by Duchatelet while at Standard in September.

Charlton have slipped down the table after a promising start, with Saturday’s win over Brentford their first since November.

But Meire argued the off-the-pitch work is just as important.

“I was in Belgium on Monday to talk to the owner and present him the investments that I want to do in the summer, and he gave the sign of close to £1m to invest,” she said.

“It’s a strong message that he gave to the club and we should recognise that.

“It goes from a new big screen to renovating the West Stand, the lounges, air conditioning and ventilation that needs to be replaced.

“All small things you would say but they’re all very necessary to make this a nicer environment.

 “Last season we invested in the pitch, we’re now the only London stadium where Wi-Fi is really working and that’s the vision and the future for this club.”

Meire was reluctant to say the club would be challenging for promotion in the next few seasons and spoke of a more realistic approach to future ambitions.

She explained: “It would be much more popular for me to say I want the club in the Premier League.

“Obviously that’s the vision of every club in the Championship.

“But we’ve come a long way, we were fighting relegation last year. Rome wasn’t built in a day.

“We need to be realistic and we’re trying to build a team that will be very competitive.

“But I’m not going to say it will happen in two years, I cannot promise you.

“How many teams who invested heavily in their team, like Nottingham Forest, can say goodbye to their Premier League dreams?”  

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