Dan Friedkin has been speaking about Roma getting the green light to build a new billion pound stadium after coming under fire for Everton's summer transfer window
Dan Friedkin owns Everton and Roma
Dan Friedkin owns Everton and Roma(Image: Massimo Insabato/Archivio Massimo Insabato/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images)
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The Friedkin Group are under fire over their strategy and lack of spending at Everton, but they have been given the green light to construct a new stadium for Roma costing more than a billion pounds.
Owner Dan Friedkin is also said to have appeared 'bullish' at the general assembly of European clubs.
On the eve of this season, Blues chief executive Angus Kinnear, who is considered a mouthpiece for TFG, boldly predicted: “This window again, I think we will spend more than most of our competitors, the owners are very keen to back us.”
However, after the window closed Everton were down in 15th place among Premier League clubs when it came to net spend and were one of just half a dozen teams to make a trading profit.
However, with Nottingham Forest understood to have been informed that the Blues needed to make a big sale in the final week of the window, the Houston-based firm were prepared to cash in on teenager Harrison Armstrong, the club’s brightest home-grown talent and only Scouser in the squad, only to perform a dramatic U-turn when travelling Evertonians at the 1-1 draw with Bournemouth threatened to riot.
Despite pocketing over £100million on deadline day with their most creative talent Iliman Ndiaye, last season’s top scorer Beto, Tim Iroegbunam and Nathan Patterson all sold, plus Adam Aznou loaned out, following the late collapse of the purchase of USA World Cup star Folarin Balogun from Monaco, Everton were left with a first-team squad of just 18 outfield players that contains a solitary striker, left-back and right-back.
Highly decorated and respected sports journalist Henry Winter observed: “At the very least, Everton owe their frustrated fans some form of explanation for that chaotic, embarrassing and deeply disappointing transfer window.” Meanwhile, both Phil McNulty, chief football writer for BBC Sport, and Andy Hunter, Merseyside football correspondent for the Guardian described the situation as “a shambles.”
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While TFG ended up being relatively parsimonious when it came to investment in David Moyes’ squad – the manager who steered the Blues to nine top-eight finishes including their highest ever Premier League position of fourth in his first spell in charge – has subsequently revealed that chairman Dan Friedkin, who has never attended an Everton match, has also never spoken to him, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, a daily ranking of the world’s wealthiest people, the 61-year-old is currently placed at number 299 with an estimated fortune of $11.8billion (£8.9billion).
Roma, also owned by TFG, currently top Serie A, and in contrast to his hands off approach at Hill Dickinson Stadium, Roma Press report how Friedkin senior, one of nine executive committee members, was holding court at the EFC (European Football Clubs) General Assembly held in Copenhagen on Tuesday.
Their article states: “It’s an extraordinary moment for the Texan owners, especially after the green light was given for the stadium in Pietralata, where the groundbreaking is expected between March and April.
“The Giallorossi could play their first season in their new home in 2029-30. On the sidelines of yesterday’s meeting, Dan Friedkin puffed out his chest when he heard the word Roma mentioned.
“The tycoon appeared in the conference room around 9am, wearing a suit and blue tie. He wore headphones while sending voice messages and warily observing familiar and less familiar faces.
“The first to embrace Dan Friedkin was the owner of Legia Warsaw, with whom he discussed the current state of Gasperini’s team and the tense relationship between UEFA and FIFA.
“Shortly afterward, the pair were joined by Martina Pavlova of Sparta Prague. All three are members of the executive committee of the only association Dan Friedkin identifies with.
“Dan Friedkin returned to talking about his Roma side yesterday, shaking hands and laughing about the Giallorossi’s current situation.
As Corriere dello Sport reports: “He let slip a certain satisfaction: ‘Between the stadium and first place, it’s truly a great moment for us.’
“The Manchester City CEO joked with the owner of the Roman club: ‘President, do you want to win this year?’ Finally, Al-Khelaifi arranged to meet Dan Friedkin for the match between PSG and Roma on November 25: ‘See you in the Champions League, Dan.’”
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Sport Witness report how the plan, for the 60,605 venue, to be constructed in the Pietralata district, over six miles east of Roma’s longtime Stadio Olimpico home, was formally approved by the Conferenza dei Servizi, who signed off the technical and economic feasibility project on Monday afternoon.
Their article adds that Mayor of Rome Roberto Gualtieri was keen to praise the Friedkins in particular. The goal is to lay the foundation stone next spring and he is quoted as saying: “I thank Roma and the Friedkin family for their investment of over €1bn and for the professionalism with which the entire planning process was handled.
“I also thank the Lazio Region, the Government’s Special Commissioner Massimo Sessa, and all the institutions that worked together to achieve this historic result. The new stadium that Roma has been waiting for since the days of Dino Viola is now within reach.
“Now we will launch the tender process. Construction can begin in early 2027, and the work is projected to take two and a half years. We are therefore on track to see the stadium completed by the end of 2029.
Meanwhile, Andrea Abodi, the Minister for Sport and Youth, remarked: “There is great satisfaction. A process that usually takes 270 days was completed in 90.
“We are sending a strong, clear, and unequivocal signal regarding what we can achieve when the necessary tools are made available. In three days, we will present the final list of stadiums for Euro 2032 to UEFA.”