For a long time, Daniel Kretinsky was compromised when it came to his ability to make major decisions at West Ham United. Yet the recent changing of the guard at the London Stadium offers an opportunity for a fresh start, of sorts.
Last Saturday, Kretinsky became the club’s largest shareholder in the wake of David Sullivan’s resignation as chairman, after Vanessa Gold, the daughter of the late David Gold, agreed to sell some of the family’s shares to the Czech billionaire.
Kretinsky’s stake has risen to 43 per cent from 27 per cent, which surpasses Sullivan’s 38.8 per cent. The 77-year-old has been accused of sexually exploitative and predatory behaviour against women over several decades, which he “categorically denies”.
In a recent interview with Czech podcast Vsechno zacina dnes, Kretinsky discussed his inability to make key changes. But he has shown more authority at board level, with the timing of Graham Potter’s sacking a case in point.
The former Brighton & Hove Albion and Chelsea manager was jettisoned in late September having won only six of his 25 games during his eight months in charge. Sources with knowledge of the situation, who spoke to The Athletic on the condition of anonymity to protect relationships, say Kretinsky strongly opposed other board members’ pitch for Potter’s dismissal before the start of the 2025-26 season. He at least succeeded in pushing back that decision until the autumn.
Fast forward to May and the 50-year-old, who purchased his initial stake in November 2021, played an important role in Nuno Espirito Santo remaining as head coach following West Ham’s relegation to the Championship.
Nuno Espirito Santo will lead West Ham United’s pursuit of promotion from the Championship (Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images)
A new era has dawned over recent weeks, with Sullivan stepping down. Preparations for life in the second tier are underway with the Czech now integral in the club’s ambitions to secure immediate promotion back to the top flight. Behind the scenes, West Ham’s non-playing staff have praised Kretinsky’s calm demeanour, honesty and professionalism.
He works closely with his right-hand man Jiri Svarc, an ex-board member and JP Morgan investment banker. Given Svarc’s background in finances, he advises Kretinsky about West Ham’s situation and the best ways to help structure the club.
But despite all this feeling like a much-needed fresh start for the fanbase, uncertainty still swirls around the London Stadium.
Sources familiar with the situation have told The Athletic that Sullivan still intends to purchase some of Gold’s remaining shares, despite his resignation. He, along with Kretinsky, was in negotiations with the family earlier this year. Should he succeed, then that could block Kretinsky’s hopes for full power unless the Independent Football Regulator (IFR), who is investigating the allegations made against Sullivan, expel him under its Owners, Directors and Senior Executives (ODSE) regime for clubs across the Premier League and EFL.
Kretinsky has experience in running a club. He has been co-owner and president of Sparta Prague — who he supported as a child — since 2004. Under his control, the 38-time Czech champions have won six league titles. His intention is to bring that winning formula to West Ham by financially supporting their summer recruitment.
“We have a very credible strategy,” he recently told The Times. “We don’t need to sell the players for financial reasons. We are doing this to make sure we are promoted back to the Premier League immediately. That is our only goal.
“Key players are waiting for us. They want to see there is a real chance of keeping the squad together. What matters is funding, strategy and consistency. We have spoken to all of them. They need to see that our project is real and serious. Promotion is our only goal.”
Daniel Kretinsky celebrates West Ham’s victory in the Conference League final of 2023 in Prague (Vlastimil Vacek/AFP via Getty Images)
Clubs will test West Ham’s resolve when it comes to retaining Mateus Fernandes, 21, and Crysencio Summerville, 24. Both are expected to depart this summer. Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Manchester United are interested in the former, whose valuation is £80million ($107.4m). West Ham believe they could have raised £100m for his services had they stayed up.
Manchester United have enquired about Summerville, who is expected to cost in the region of £50m and could attract other suitors. Aston Villa have also been credited with an interest in the winger, who is currently at the World Cup with the Netherlands.
Konstantinos Mavropanos, 28, is among Borussia Dortmund’s transfer targets. The German club have a long-standing interest in the Greece international, who previously played in the Bundesliga at Nurnberg and VfB Stuttgart from 2020-23. The centre-back, whose deal expires in the summer of 2028, was named West Ham’s player of the season.
Other uncertainties surround Jean-Clair Todibo — who fell out with Nuno — the high-earning Alphonse Areola, and Maximilian Kilman. The latter played 25 minutes across West Ham’s 19 league games since January 6.
The futures of Mateus Fernandes and Jean-Clair Todibo at West Ham United remain uncertain (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
Ligue 1 clubs Marseille, Monaco and Lyon have enquired about Mohamadou Kante’s availability. The 20-year-old midfielder, who made his Premier League debut against Manchester United in December, has five years remaining on his contract, with the option of a further year.
Fellow midfielder Tomas Soucek, who is on World Cup duty with the Czech Republic, is also unsure of his long-term future. The 31-year-old’s contract expires next summer, although West Ham have a one-year option to extend.
“I love West Ham, but I need to calmly discuss with the manager and the board what their views are on the way forward and what the options are,” Soucek told Czech media outlet Forbes Cesko earlier this month. “I played in the best league in the world or European cups for almost seven years, playing maybe 90 per cent of what I could, so I don’t want to say that I’ll just play in the second league now and I don’t mind.
“It is necessary to consider all possible options. If I were to leave West Ham, I would probably not go to the top three teams in England, but rather to a team of similar quality. And if not, staying at the club and trying to get it back to the Premier League can also be a special and in many ways attractive challenge.”
Those are merely the possible outgoings. The squad will need to be refreshed, rejuvenated and steeled if they are to challenge in the Championship next season. Kretinsky has his belated wish of being the major shareholder, but navigating the next few months may prove just as challenging as winning promotion.