ENIC...

[vegassd]

This is a big topic and one I'm still wrestling with myself, knowing that the club needs investment and change, while coming to terms with the idea that if I accept it coming from Qatar, I'm probably being a massive hypocrite.

I feel the same - it's a very big topic, and probably not something that is suited to an online forum. But this is what we have, so it's time to turn on the brain filters and ignore most of what is being said!

Like much of the debate about the owners, different fans have very different opinions about the same subject. Some fans want trophies at any cost... some want entertainment before success... some feel the connection with the fan base is most important. None of those views are right or wrong, so it is a shame when some people post as if they speak the "truth" or somehow know exactly what Levy is thinking!

For me, I think I would feel disconnected enough after an investment like this to just stop following. I don't get to many games, and as I'm getting older I feel less bothered by football in general. I'm sure some people feel the exact opposite.

What stands out to me would be how this investment (if it happened) would actually change the club. Would it represent a lump sum to spend on players, or would there be changes at board level and the implementation of a new strategy? I struggle to see how more money solves the long term issues if the approach at the top of the club isn't improved.

I guess we all love the idea of a passionate billionaire buying the club and proceeding to make great strategic decisions that drive us to success... but in the cold light of day that's very unlikely. So to my mind, any form of ownership requires a compromise, and personally I'm more happy to compromise silverware before enjoyment or connection to the club. But again, I know some people will feel the complete opposite.

 

[Trix]

Maybe, and I’ve actually learned a bit about them myself over the last couple of months. They aren’t as bad as the Saudis or the Emirates, they seem like the most progressive of the gulf states in many ways. But it’s a bit like comparing Peter Sucliffe with Harold Shipman. Yeah Shipman killed more people, but you’d still not want to go to Butlins with either of them.

And yes they do care what people think, but it’s more to do with what governments and power brokers think of them. They won’t care what you or I think of their human rights record. Not really. As I said in the post above they’re sportswashing is all about legitimacy and being known on the world stage. Because at some point the gas will run out or Saudi Arabia will decide they want the Qatari peninsula.

But whatever their reasoning I’m not happy about the idea of them being involved with Spurs. I’m not sure what I’ll do if they take over the club or funnel money in or whatever. But it’ll probably lessen my enjoyment of the club and the football. Maybe I’ll just stop watching altogether.

I just hope it doesn’t happen tbh so I don’t have to make that decision.

Yeah it's exactly like that if either Sutcliffe or Shipman were trying to change their ways and stop killing people(for whatever reason). As they didn't and were both happy to just carry on killing people for fun your analogy just falls flat and doesn't work at all. You are right though I wouldn't want to go to Butlins with either of them, but that's as much about Butlins as the company I'd be keeping.

 

[Cream]

Levy is just an inept football chairman. If it wasn't for nepotism he would have been sacked around the Santini times.

Clueless and useless.

 

[Gspurs11]

Just in terms of the financials, what do we think the benefit is for us? Gradual, incremental investment or a large cash dump? In regard to FFP we're like £400-500m in the green (?), are QSI going to give the financial stimulus to spend big on the playing side with a minority share straight away or do we think we'll initially have a favourable naming rights deal through Qatar Airways in place first?

 

[Dakes]

I think once a status quo of state run clubs develops. The billionaires will lose interest. They won’t be able to compete so what’s the point, aside from if they can some how get value on their investments which would be increasingly difficult to do imo.

This would probably lead to billionaire conglomerates pooling wealth to challenge state funding. Isn't this what happened with Chelsea now?

 

[Japhet]

Isn't there another option? To continue to support Spurs but continue to call out their atrocities and hope to engineer some positive change from within?

That's about as half arsed as it can get imo.

 

[THFCSPURS19]

Qatar target Premier League investment amid Tottenham denials

Qatar is aiming to expand its sports portfolio by buying a minority stake in a Premier League club, with Tottenham thought to be the likeliest target.

www.standard.co.uk

Qatar target Premier League investment amid Tottenham denials​

Qatar is aiming to expand its sports portfolio by buying a minority stake in a Premier League club, with Tottenham thought to be the likeliest target.
Spurs deny that chairman Daniel Levy met last week with Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the chairman of Paris Saint-Germain and president of Qatar Sports Investments (QSI), despite reports of a mutually-agreed meeting at a London hotel.

Sources close to Levy said the pair have been friends for years and meet regularly, particularly when Al-Khelaifi is in London. They met at a board meeting of the European Club Association — of which Al-Khelaifi is head and Spurs a member — in Doha last month.

Spurs also insisted this morning that there are no discussions, exploratory or otherwise, with QSI over a minority stake in the club, despite the Qataris' plans for an ambitious post-World Cup expansion of its portfolio.

As well as PSG, QSI owns a 22 per cent stake in Portuguese club SC Braga — bought for about £79.3million last October — and is promoting the burgeoning sport of padel tennis.

Manchester United and Liverpool are both for sale, although Spurs are understood to be considered a more realistic option for QSI, which is not restricting its plans to English football and is said to be eyeing opportunities around the world.

Last year, billionaire Daniel Kretinsky bought a 27 per cent stake in West Ham, with David Sullivan and the late David Gold remaining as co-chairmen, and a similar arrangement may appeal to Levy and majority shareholder, Joe Lewis.

Spurs are facing an ongoing challenge to satisfy Antonio Conte's demands and compete in the transfer market, and owners ENIC injected £150m into the club over the summer. That figure is a fraction of what Levy would be able to demand for a minority stake.

While Kretinsky is widely expected to eventually take a majority control of the Hammers, QSI is exploring only minority deals, because it has no plans to sell PSG and UEFA rules forbid owners from having a majority holding in clubs which could meet in European competition.

 

[Dakes]

I always thought the Qatari investing in football was more to do with geopolitics, given that every other arab state hates them.

For interest sake, why is this the case? I'm clueless.

 

[For the love of Spurs]

Levy is just an inept football chairman. If it wasn't for nepotism he would have been sacked around the Santini times.

Clueless and useless.

I think that’s harsh, there are things he is very good at and things he is very bad at. Problem is he doesn’t want to let go of what he does poorly.

Do what you do best and delegate the rest isn’t a concept he is familiar with it appears.

 

[Hertspur]

Sorry, I'm not fully up on all the discussion here but does anyone know if there is a desire for all these minority investments (plus PSG) to form links between the clubs? i.e. red bull style (is there a risk of clubs becoming feeders to one another?) or is it purely financial investments in independent clubs? TIA!

 

[freeeki]

Yeah it's exactly like that if either Sutcliffe or Shipman were trying to change their ways and stop killing people(for whatever reason). As they didn't and were both happy to just carry on killing people for fun your analogy just falls flat and doesn't work at all. You are right though I wouldn't want to go to Butlins with either of them, but that's as much about Butlins as the company I'd be keeping.

Always knew you were more of a Pontins girl.

Can’t explain it, just a vibe.

 

[Tucker]

Yeah it's exactly like that if either Sutcliffe or Shipman were trying to change their ways and stop killing people(for whatever reason). As they didn't and were both happy to just carry on killing people for fun your analogy just falls flat and doesn't work at all. You are right though I wouldn't want to go to Butlins with either of them, but that's as much about Butlins as the company I'd be keeping.

Are Qatar really interested in changing their ways though? Or are they just the most moderate of a pretty illiberal set of states? My analogy was more for humour than anything else but in its basic elements it’s still works.

Qatar are probably the most moderate of the gulf states, but their just the best of a bad bunch. That’s doesn’t make them ok.

 

[Gb160]

How much would one of those nighties that they made Messi wear set me back? Asking for a friend.

Edit: set him back.

 

[Tucker]

How much would one of those nighties that they made Messi wear set me back? Asking for a friend.

Edit: set him back.

They’ve got them in Anne Summers for £30 but you can get knocked off ones on eBay for a fiver.

 

[Japhet]

I don't really see the value in trophies won just because your club gets bought out or a massive cash injection from somewhere. You as a club haven't really achieved anything, you've just spent someone else's money - where's the achievement there?

It's why none of Man City's trophies really bother me or register, any club in the league that got that money handed to them at that time would be in the same position Man City are now.

That's before you even take into account where the money comes from.

And by that same token, it's why it doesn't really matter that we don't win stuff. We might fluke something like Leicester or Wigan but that's about it, and I'm fine with that compared to how I'd feel if we essentially cheated our way to any trophy. Wouldn't mean a thing to me.

 

[YB123]

 

[Cream]

I think that’s harsh, there are things he is very good at and things he is very bad at. Problem is he doesn’t want to let go of what he does poorly.

Do what you do best and delegate the rest isn’t a concept he is familiar with it appears.

Meh.

I'm struggling to see what he's achieved. He tasked himself to build a stadium. Was, what 400m over budget and 2 years late? He made so many changes that we lost any chance of late delivery fees. That there as a ceo is a sackable offence. But we know he can't be sacked.

And that's his crowning achievement because we all know he hasn't achieved on the field.

I reckon I could give you a billion pounds and you'd deliver a stadium. Possibly even on time.

 

[Oh Teddy Teddy]

Sorry, I'm not fully up on all the discussion here but does anyone know if there is a desire for all these minority investments (plus PSG) to form links between the clubs? i.e. red bull style (is there a risk of clubs becoming feeders to one another?) or is it purely financial investments in independent clubs? TIA!

The latter (from Ben Jacobs). There'd be no link to PSG or any other club QSI would be looking to minority-invest in, is the reported understanding.

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

Levy is just an inept football chairman. If it wasn't for nepotism he would have been sacked around the Santini times.

Clueless and useless.

Not true, he’s built the club up really well he’s just made mistakes on the football side/set-up and has been too involved on those matters where he doesn’t have expertise which has held us back from winning more than we have.

Overall running of the club he’s been pretty good.

 

[tony0379]

I hope he invests £2b and shuts those 2 ****s up