Hammers co-owner Daniel Kretinsky has made a seriously exciting West Ham claim in an extremely rare TV interview.
When Daniel Kretinsky bought a large share in West Ham nearly three years ago man fans expected – and hoped – it was a pre-cursor to an eventual full takeover.
The Czech billionaire is West Ham’s second biggest stakeholder, owning 27 per cent of the club.
He is also, by some distance, the richest – and among the richest owners in the Premier League too.
In fact Kretinsky jumped a massive 14 places on the latest Sunday Times Rich List as his wealth continues to grow.
The Sparta Prague owner went from 47th to 33rd with a net worth of £6bn. That was up £2bn on last year.
The main source income of West Ham’s ‘Czech Sphinx’ is listed as energy, telecoms, media and football. He has just taken over Royal Mail and part owns J Sainsbury too.
‘Secretive’ Sphinx speaks
Kretinsky has been described as ‘secretive’ in the past. And it’s easy to see why.
He is one man West Ham fans rarely – if ever – hear from or too much about from a football perspective.
The last we heard about Kretinsky from a Hammers point of view was that he was unhappy with how some elements of West Ham were being run.
And it was claimed he wanted a bigger influence as a result.
Well it seems that was more than just gossip and hearsay.
Because Kretinsky has made an exciting West Ham claim in a rare TV interview.
The Czech billionaire says his heart is fully with West Ham.
So much so he wants to increase his stake in the club if the opportunity arises.
Kretinsky’s exciting claim in rare TV interview
When he bought 27 per cent in November 2021 it boosted club coffers by £150m.
Therefore this is exciting news for West Ham and the club’s finances.
“I don’t think it’s on the table,” Kretinsky said with a wry smile in the TV interview, which you can see at the bottom of this story.
“First of all when we talk about Premier League we talk strictly about West Ham, right.
“My heart is with West Ham and any other club would never interest me.
“We are happy with our shareholding I have to say. I can also say that it is not part of our thinking that we would become a sole controlling shareholder of West Ham.
“But if there is an opportunity to somehow increase our stake without becoming majority (owners) we would be very open to that and I would be proud to be able to even tighten the link with the club.
“But at the same time I have to say that the co-operation and other things amongst the shareholders is very good and I feel very comfortable in the role in which we are and very grateful for this role.”
Why Hammers fans should welcome the news
Kretinsky’s comments should be welcomed by Hammers fans.
This could boost club coffers by another £120m or more if Kretinsky does push to increase his stake without becoming a majority shareholder.
It begs the question why hasn’t he looked to purchase the Gold family stake after Vanessa Gold put it up for sale back in October.
Perhaps it intends to behind the scenes?
What it does prove is that Hammers News’ consistent reporting on Kretinsky from the start has been bang on.
In February last year football finance expert Kieran Maguire exclusively told Hammers News that Kretinsky has no interest in a full takeover.
Indeed owning both West Ham and Sparta Prague would cause issues when it came to both clubs playing in Europe due to UEFA’s strict Multi-Club Ownerships rules.
While that may disappoint some West Ham fans, they should be encouraged that a man of Kretinsky’s vast wealth wants more of the club.
He certainly wouldn’t let one of his major investments go to pot.
So with him around – and possibly increasing his holding – the future looks bright. Or at the very least stable.
And there’s a lot to be said for that in a climate where more and more clubs across Europe are falling into the abyss.
You can watch Kretsinsky’s interview below.