London, November 11 (BNA) The investment group of the Czech billionaire who owns a wide portfolio of commercial interests in Europe has bought a 27% stake in West Ham, the English Premier League football club announced on Wednesday.
The 1890 property is also controlled by Daniel Křetínský, majority owner of Czech soccer team Sparta Prague who also owns energy group EPH and is a media mogul in his home country, the AP reports.
Křetínský and teammate, Pavel Horsk, have become members of West Ham’s board of directors as a result of the takeover of a club currently in third place in the Premier League after their 3-2 win over Liverpool on Sunday.
Co-chairs David Gold and David Sullivan have dominated West Ham since 2010 and the club has made impressive strides in recent years under manager David Moyes in his second term in office.
“Having visited the London Stadium recently to watch David Moyes’ team, I know it’s a great time to be joining the West Ham United family,” said Křetínský, who attended the Liverpool match. “I feel honored to now have the opportunity to help everyone here build on the proud tradition of this great club.”
In the Czech Republic, Křetínsk owns a book publishing house, a daily newspaper and sports magazine, and co-owns the French newspaper Le Monde. He has stakes in a number of other companies including Macy’s, Foot Locker, Sainsbury’s, Royal Mail and Metro.
West Ham have never been an English champion. But she won the FA Cup three times.
The club said the deal “will initially enable a reduction in its long-term debt and the ability to continue directing the generated funds to other key areas of focus, continuing the positive progress that has been made at West Ham United in recent years”.
Two of West Ham’s best players, Tomas Sucek and Vladimir Koval, are Czech Republic internationals.