World Cup winner N’Golo Kanté buys small club in Belgium

BRUSSELS (AP) — N’Golo Kanté is taking over third-division Belgian team Royal Excelsior Virton. The move was announced by the club in a statement headlined “Small town, big dreams!” Kanté this month completed a move to Saudi champion Al-Ittihad on a three-year deal after six years at Chelsea. He is replacing entrepreneur Flavio Becca as owner of the club bordering France. “Driven by his passion for soccer, N’Golo Kanté’s aim is to continue structuring the club with a view to consolidating its foundations, stabilizing the staff and ultimately reviving RE Virton’s tradition of training through its youth academy,” the Belgian club said.