What a day.
News has broken of the Friedkin Group, owner of AS Roma and AS Cannes, having a bid accepted for Everton by soon-to-be outgoing owner Farhad Moshiri.
According to reports the deal needs to be signed off by the Premier League but Friedkin has already negotiated the repayment of the 777 loans, now owned by A-Cap, and renegotiated the £30m-per-year-interest of the RMF loan too.
It could leave the club relatively debt free before the move into Bramley Moore Stadium and there are already major clues about the type of owners the Friedkins will be. Dan’s brother Ryan is expected to be hands on at Everton and if it follows the same pattern as Roma it will mean a culture change at Everton.
In an interview upon taking over at Roma, Dan said: “We are big believers in stability and culture. This is important in our existing businesses, and it’s critically important in football.
“We try to identify, and more importantly support, strong management. We prefer to be seen rather than heard, and for this reason we have empowered our leadership – particularly Guido Fienga – to handle most communication on behalf of the club.
“We believe that a winning culture must start at the top, and we intend to lead by example. Make no mistake – we share this ambition with the fans, and we intend to win. But we need patience – champions aren’t built overnight.
“We promise to work hard, smart and strategically, and to be 100% committed to AS Roma.
“We intend to listen a lot – and we have already been listening – and what we have heard so far is that the fans want three things: a team to be proud of; a club that appreciates, understands and shares their passion; and an ownership that is both present and honest.”
“We totally understand that the fans and the media are desperate to hear news about what is happening – this is natural in football – but our style is to work in a different way.
“It’s more important that we work than talk, and then when the club has something concrete to say – whether it’s about a new signing, about a new appointment or whatever – then the club will speak on it.”
The Friedkin’s have caused controversy by sacking manager Daniele De Rossi after four games of the season and 14 with a single win stretching into the previous season. It has caused protests by Roma fans who see De Rossi as a club legend and consider his sacking early in the season to be disrespectful. But before this happened De Rossi spoke positively of the Friedkin’s input.
He said: “Yesterday Dan, Ryan and I talked for an hour. We talk about everything, there is frequent contact about everything and every time there is something – even the smallest thing – I ask for it is made available to me.”
“This is the ideal way to work not for me but for any coach. The management are very close to the team. I’m talking about Maurizio Lombardo, Lina [Souloukou] – everyone is giving me a hand because they know that I joined such a big team and with little experience to show for this leap.”
There is one note of caution. It is impossible for a multi-club model to have two clubs in the same competition and while European football is a long way away for Everton it does present a roadblock in future. On the Everton news hitting headlines, the Friedkin Group posted a statement for Roma fans committing to keeping the club at ‘the heart’ of their plans.
It said: ““The potential addition of Everton to our portfolio does not alter our focus on AS Roma. If anything, the multi-club symbiosis will only help Roma.
“Each club in our portfolio operates independently and AS Roma remains at the heart of our football ambitions. Rest assured, our commitment of time, resources, and energy to Roma will not be diminished. Our goal is clear – to see AS Roma consistently compete at the highest levels of European football.”
How the Friedkins would navigate two clubs in the same European competition in future, and where Everton sit in terms of priority in the multi club structure, remains to be seen.