Arsenal

Arsenal News

Monday, March 26, 2007

NO INTEREST IN ARSENAL - KROENKE

Kroenke Sports Enterprise have "no interest or intention" of buying into Arsenal, according to a spokesman for the American company.

Although the major shareholders - which include vice chairman David Dein and director Danny Fiszman - of the Barclays Premiership club have no intention of selling up, broadcaster ITV are likely to be open to offers for their 9.9% stake in the Gunners.

With the valuation of Arsenal - their parent company listed on the alternative Plus market - currently around ฃ404million, it would represent a significant outlay for any potential investor.

US billionaire Stan Kroenke had been widely reported to be interested in acquiring the shares.

His company - Kroenke Sports Enterprise - already have an "innovative strategic relationship" with the north-London club through Major League Soccer team Colorado Rapids, and the group have a large portfolio of sports-related interests across the Atlantic.

However, any suggestions this would now be followed by KSE taking a financial stake in Arsenal have been quickly dismissed.

Jurgen Mainka, senior director of communications and international business at Colorado Rapids, said: "At this point, there is no interest or intention from KSE in buying any shares or any pieces of Arsenal Football Club or any club in the English Premier League.

"There certainly is no substance to these stories and rumours in the media which indeed started when we first announced our commercial relationship with Arsenal Football Club."


The agreement in place at the moment between the two clubs is primarily designed to help develop the Gunners brand in America, and will also see an exchange of coaching as well as commercial ideologies, with an inaugural Arsenal Cup to be held for US clubs by the Rapids this summer.



Jeff Plush, managing director of the MLS outfit, was in London recently as part of a pre-season trip to Europe, which also included a visit to Valencia in Spain.



He said: "We can certainly give to Arsenal some of our expertise in sports marketing - we own five teams, a television network and four venues.



"With them, we are frankly a more credible football club than we were."



Even though KSE are distancing themselves from any talk of a potential takeover, it was inevitable interest in Arsenal would surface sooner rather than later.

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