Arsenal’s chief executive has apologised to supporters.
In the wake of Arsenal’s surprise Capital One Cup defeat to Bradford City this week, chief executive Ivan Gazidis issued the following statement to supporters at a supporters trust meeting.
“Last night was not good enough and it made us all upset and angry. I would like to apologise to all of you.”
It was perhaps a brave move to stick his head above the parapet to be shot at, with manager Arsene Wenger and the players taking huge amounts of flak for the defeat.
Questioned about the views of majority shareholder Stan Kroenke, he said of the American: “Obviously he’s not happy with the way the team is performing.”
The full report can be read here.
Our view? It’s time Stan Kroenke stopped communicating through Ivan Gazidis and faced up to Arsenal’s problems directly and regularly.
Clearly he pays Gazidis a lot of money to ‘look after’ Arsenal – the chief exec took home a whopping £2 million last season, but there is a stage where the owner has to step in.
Football is a passionate sport, and supporters want to see somebody in charge of their club who cares. Instead they see an American sitting on the other side of the Atlantic, counting his profits.
They want to see him put his money up to improve the team, rather than spending £80 million on a ranch. That sort of money could have bought Arsenal Falcao, and be left with plenty left over too.
Sure, he appeared at the club’ AGM for the first time recently, but if his St Louis Rams NFL team had not been playing (and losing heavily 45-7) in the same week, would he really have attended? The nickname Silent Stan is not borne out of nothing.
Arsenal fans will take note of his concerns, but there is a disconnect between the owner and supporters which needs to be bridged, and company man Ivan Gazidis does not feel like ‘one of the fans’ – Merely a businessman who has overseen the departure of key players season after season.
Until these problems are addressed, whoever is in charge of the team, Arsenal fans will struggle to feel like they have any say in the destiny of their club.
What do you think of Gazidis’ comments?
image: © michael hilton
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