Sam Baro warns that if Gent fail to qualify against Hibernian, the financial year will start with a deficit. The return leg in the Conference League League Phase is scheduled for Thursday evening at Easter Road, where Hibernian have played their home matches for over 130 years.
What is financially at stake for Gent in Europe?
Sam Baro explained that Conference League football until mid-December yields approximately five million euros net for the club. In the previous season, Gent missed out on European football and TV revenues were two million euros lower. If the annual accounts are finalised soon, the club faces a seven million euro deficit. Over the first two years, Gent had more than seven million euros in profit, but over the past three years the club would have broken even. The club has an annual structural loss between fifteen and twenty million euros, which is offset by European football revenue and player sales.
Which players will Gent miss against Hibernian due to departures and injuries?
Last season, Wilfried Kanga and Max Dean were Gent's two top scorers, but both have left the club. One third of last season's goals are now gone due to their departures. Additionally, Hyllarion Goore is injured and Omri Gandelman has been absent since January. Due to these absences and departures, Gent will miss more than half of last season's goals in Scotland. Josué Vergara and Ibrahima Cissé are seen as players with development potential, while El Hadji Seck will be deployed and Kyrell Wilson has an attacking profile.
How is Gent viewing the transfer market after the match against Hibernian?
The outcome of Thursday evening's match will influence both the incoming and outgoing transfer market. If Gent qualify, the club will try to offload more players. Sam Baro hopes to bring in one or two new players and stated that the phone is currently very active regarding transfer talks. He also praised the club's behind-the-scenes operations, which he said now run like a well-oiled machine, and gave compliments to head coach Rik for his performance.
What does this mean for Gent's current situation in the league?
Gent currently stand fifth in the Jupiler Pro League with six points from two games (2W-0D-0L) and recent form WW. The club have scored four goals and conceded one this season (+3 goal difference) and are three points behind leaders Club Brugge KV. The next fixture is at home against Club Brugge KV on 30 August 2026. For more information on the schedule, you can check our fixtures page, while squad details are available on our squad page.
Sam Baro summed up the importance of the match with the words: "Als we het niet halen, start het boekjaar met een tekort" and added: "Voor onze supporters is dat de 'do or die'-match van het jaar". The match against Hibernian will determine whether Gent can avoid the financial deficit and whether the club can continue building a qualitative squad with more potential to be realised, as reported by De Standaard.
