Soccer-Czech billionaire Kretinsky becomes largest shareholder at West Ham

FILE PHOTO: Czech businessman Daniel Kretinsky speaks at a conference in Prague, Czech Republic, October 17, 2023. REUTERS/David W Cerny/File Photo

Sept 4 (Reuters) - Czech billionaire Daniel ⁠Kretinsky has become West Ham United's largest shareholder after agreeing a deal to ⁠increase his stake, the Championship club said on Friday, effectively ending Amanda ‌Staveley's attempt to buy into the former Premier League side.

Vanessa Gold, daughter of former West Ham chair David Gold, had reached an agreement last month to sell her family's shares to a consortium led ​by Staveley and others, after a previously agreed sale ⁠to Kretinsky fell through.

However, the BBC ⁠reported that Royal Mail owner Kretinsky struck a deal with West Ham's remaining shareholders, ⁠including ‌former chairman David Sullivan, over the stake owned by the Gold family, raising his own shareholding to 46%.

"West Ham United notes the announcement that Daniel Kretinsky, ⁠via 1890s Holdings, has reached an agreement to acquire ​the requisite number of ‌shares to become the single largest shareholder at the club," it said in ⁠a statement.

Vanessa, representing ​the Gold family, said she was pleased that West Ham's shareholders had reached an agreement that confirmed Kretinsky had become the largest shareholder. Sullivan's stake will also increase to 40%.

Gold said ⁠Kretinsky would be "taking a more active role in the ​decision-making at the club" while giving supporters clarity over the future of West Ham, who were relegated from the Premier League last term after 13 consecutive seasons in the ⁠top flight.

"My ambition through this process has been to ensure the club had the right leadership and to enable West Ham to achieve its potential and return to its rightful place in the Premier League," Gold said in a statement.

"This agreement, which was ​first outlined back in June, provides that stability, allowing the ⁠club and its management to continue to focus on the football season."

Gold added that she ​would remain a small shareholder while also thanking ‌Staveley -- who previously held a minority stake in ​Newcastle United from 2021 to 2024 -- and her partners for their engagement in the process.

(Reporting by Sam Tobin and Rohith Nair; Editing by Ken Ferris)

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资料照片：2023年10月17日，捷克商人丹尼尔·克雷廷斯基在捷克共和国布拉格的一个会议上发表讲话。路透社/大卫·W·切尔尼/资料照片

9 月 4 日（路透社）——英冠俱乐部西汉姆联周五表示，捷克亿万富翁丹尼尔·克雷廷斯基已同意增持股份，成为该俱乐部最大的股东，这实际上终结了阿曼达·斯塔维利收购这家前英超俱乐部股份的尝试。

前西汉姆联队主席大卫·戈尔德的女儿瓦妮莎·戈尔德上个月达成协议，将她家族的股份出售给由斯塔维利等人领导的财团，此前她与克雷廷斯基达成的出售协议未能达成。

然而，BBC 报道称，皇家邮政老板克雷廷斯基与西汉姆联队的剩余股东（包括前主席大卫·沙利文）就戈尔德家族持有的股份达成协议，将自己的持股比例提高到 46%。

“西汉姆联队注意到丹尼尔·克雷廷斯基通过 1890s Holdings 公司达成协议，将收购所需数量的股份，成为俱乐部最大的单一股东，”该俱乐部在一份声明中表示。

代表戈尔德家族的瓦妮莎表示，她很高兴西汉姆联队的股东们达成协议，确认克雷廷斯基成为最大股东。苏利文的持股比例也将增至40%。

戈尔德表示，克雷廷斯基将“在俱乐部的决策中发挥更积极的作用”，同时让球迷们清楚西汉姆联的未来。西汉姆联在上赛季从英超联赛降级，此前他们已连续13个赛季征战顶级联赛。

“我在此过程中的目标是确保俱乐部拥有正确的领导层，使西汉姆联队能够发挥其潜力，重返英超联赛应有的位置，”戈尔德在一份声明中表示。

“这项协议最早于六月份提出，它提供了稳定性，使俱乐部及其管理层能够继续专注于足球赛季。”

戈尔德补充说，她将继续持有少量股份，同时感谢斯塔维利（她曾在 2021 年至 2024 年期间持有纽卡斯尔联队的少数股份）及其合作伙伴在此过程中的参与。

（萨姆·托宾和罗希特·奈尔报道；肯·费里斯编辑）

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