Křetínský: I want to set up cooperation between Sparta and West Ham in a way that both clubs benefit from it

On Wednesday, Daniel Křetínský officially became a minority owner of English West Ham, where he acquired a 27% stake. At the same time, he remains the owner of Sparta Prague and wants to link the two clubs in a suitable way.

Only Sparta is not enough for him anymore and so Křetínský has embarked on another adventure. He will now be a minority owner of West Ham and in the future he should buy the rest of the shares and become a majority owner.

Křetínský wanted to buy the whole London club from the beginning, but it was prevented by a clause in the contract that would make it very disadvantageous for the current owners to sell the whole share at once.

Some Sparta fans rejoice that the move will open the way for the players to the Premier League, while others fear that Křetínský will focus more on West Ham and Sparta will languish. So how does the Brno billionaire really plan to do this?

“My personal goal is to help set up the cooperation between AC Sparta Prague and West Ham United in a way that will benefit both clubs. West Ham could become a gateway to the Premier League for players from our region,” Křetínský told the club’s website.

The same belief is shared by Sparta.

“This matter does not affect Sparta in a negative sense. It does not and will not affect the club’s operations and its further functioning,” Sparta Prague spokesman Ondřej Kasík told news server iDnes.

Křetínský has been interested in joining West Ham for a long time, negotiations were supposed to drag on since September. These speculations first surfaced in public at the end of October and became even more intense after Křetínský’s personal visit to West Ham’s match with Liverpool on Sunday.

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