5 Things West Ham Fans Need To Know About Daniel Kretinsky After He Purchased A 27% Stake In The Club

David Tully

2 years ago

Categories: Galleries, West Ham United News

Daniel Kretinsky has officially bought a minority stake in West Ham Football Club after weeks of speculation surrounding the 46-year-old.

The billionaire will take his place on the Irons’ board after agreeing to buy a 27% share in the Premier League side.

David Sullivan, David Gold and Karren Brady have welcomed the new investment but Kretinsky’s arrival does raise a few questions.

Press the next page as we go through five things you need to know about the Czech businessman.

1) Kretinsky’s Net Worth Is Twice That Of Sullivan And Gold

Forbes have estimated the 46-year-old’s net worth at $4Billion (£2.97m), which is roughly double the amount of both David Sullivan and David Gold combined.

Sullivan is believed to have a £1.2Billion fortune, while Gold and his family are thought to be worth around £460m.

2) The Czech Billionaire Has Owned Another Football Club Since 2004

Kretinsky became co-owner of Czech side Sparta Prague 17 years ago but it must be said the team have not exactly been that successful during that period.

Sparta have won only four league titles, as well as five Czech Cups. In European competitions, they have not reached the Champions League group stages since 2005/06, although they did reach the quarter-finals of the Europa League in 2016.

3) Kretinsky’s £150m Investment Could Boost West Ham’s January Transfer Funds

Reports suggest that the Czech billionaire paid £150m for his 27% stake in the Hammers. While some of that will go towards reducing the club’s debt, it is believed that a good portion could be handed to David Moyes for the January transfer window.

The money could help strengthen the club’s attempts to finish in the top four, securing a striker that the squad desperately needs.

4) There Is An Option To Buy Out Sullivan And Gold

In Kretinsky’s agreement to buy his minority stake, it is believed the Czech has secured an option to buy out majority shareholders David Sullivan and David Gold.

It is currently not known when or even if Kretinsky intends to take full control but, with his stake valuing the club at around £600m, it would be a sizeable outlay to complete the takeover.

5) Kretinsky Has a Business Partner

While Kretinsky’s involvement has been much-publicised in the English press, he doesn’t work alone. He works alongside fellow Czech businessman Pavel Horsky.

Kretinsky AND Horsky will have places on West Ham’s board, along with vice-chairman Karren Brady, so it will be interesting to see how things develop in terms of the working relationship.