Alisher Usmanov Has Launched Another Attack On Arsenal's Board

 

 

Arsenal shareholder Alisher Usmanov has launched another blazing attack on the club’s current board, saying that their current policies will not bring any end to the Gunners’ seven-year wait for a trophy. This is not the first time that Usmanov has spoken about his displeasure about the board and the way that the club runs.

Alisher Usmanov hits out at Arsenal board again

In an interview with Russia’s Forbes magazine, just weeks after he penned an open letter to the Arsenal board criticising their approach, Usmanov called again for changes to the way the club is run.

“Disregarding the series of trophyless seasons, you have to accept that a few of the current board of directors were at the helm during the greatest moments of the Arsene Wenger era,” Usmanov said. But the footballing landscape has changed. Our point of view on which direction the club is going today, and our disagreement with this direction, have been laid out in our open letter to the board. We do not consider just qualifying for the Champions League to be the chief ambition of the club, and with all our hearts we support the team and wish them well for the new season. Victory is absolutely not ruled out, but the current politics of the club’s management will leave Arsene Wenger and his team with fewer and fewer opportunities in the long run.”

Usmanov also opened up on how he first began supporting Arsenal, and how he came to acquire David Dein’s 14.6% stakeholding in the club in 2007 – which he has since increased to some 30%.

“Arsenal were one of the first teams I saw on television, and at that time I started supporting them,” Usmanov revealed. I was introduced to David Dein by a mutual friend. At that time I was looking at a number of possibilities to invested in Premier League clubs, but the chance to buy a small shareholding in Arsenal outranked all other considerations. When I bought shares off David Dein I was happy with the opportunity to get to know the footballing legend which Arsenal represent. I was absolutely satsifed with this purchase and wanted to buy more shares in the club.”

But Usmanov accepted that right after he bought the shares he got into conflict with Arsenal board.

Even so, with Usmanov having the less amount of shares than the American Stan Kroenke, he believes he can still give his best for the club and is not willing to give up his shares at any cost.

“We plan to continue to buy shares in the club,” Usmanov confirmed. “From the point of view of investment, this has already been a successful policy: the value of the club has rise from £300-400million to £700-800million. But this is not the point. I am a fan and I am not going to sell these shares at any time, since this is the club that I consider the best in the world.”

Usmanov actually has convinced a section of Arsenal fans that he is the right man who can get Arsenal to win trophies again. This battle between Usmanov and Stan Kroenke to own the club, has only affected Arsenal football club and its fans as they are the major sufferers who has not tasted success for the past seven years.

As long as Arsenal fans can hope is that, as a fan Usmanov has somewhat forced the board to spend some cash rather than tasting profits by selling their stars. With the arrival of Podolski, Giroud and Cazorla, the board has shown some intentions this summer. Either way we have to wait and see what really happens in the future.