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Camden Sports - by CATHERINE ETOE
Published: 10 July 2009

Supporters’ Russian challenge

AISA members call on Usmanov to spell out his ambitions for Arsenal

ARSENAL supporters are calling on major shareholder Alisher Usmanov to reveal his long-term ambition for the club.
The Arsenal Independent Supporters Association (AISA) say they want the Russian oligarch, who owns a quarter of the club, to reveal whether he supports manager Arsene Wenger’s policy of building over buying a world-beating squad.
The calls come after Arsenal bosses shot down Usmanov’s proposals to trigger a rights issue that could have boosted Arsene Wenger’s summer transfer war chest by £150 million.
AISA chairman Paul Matz told Tribune Sport: “It’s just posturing. Usmanov knows that the club has not won a trophy for four years and he is associating himself with a feeling from some fans who are unhappy about that.
“At no point has he said whether he wants to take control of the club. No one really knows anything about him.
“The supporters’ point of view is that he should come out and say what his long-term objectives are.”
Usmanov had called for board members to accept his plan to create and sell shares to existing shareholders.
In a statement from his company, Red and White Holdings Ltd, he said the move was the only way to ensure the club could “succeed at the highest level”.
But director Stan Kroenke and chief executive Ivan Gazidis, a former director of the US Major League, said they backed Wenger’s spending policy and would not undermine the club’s financial stance.
Usmanov’s statement said: “We do not share their view but are prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt for the moment.”
Arsenal have spent £10million this summer on the Belgian defender Thomas Vermaelen and leading goalscorer Robin Van Persie has signed a new contract that will keep him at the club until 2014.
But the transfer news does not compare with the £80million Real Madrid spent to bring superstar Ronaldo to the Bernabeu.
Mr Matz said: “There are always going to be Arsenal fans who want to buy success, and some who know it’s not as simple as that.
“Arsenal has a clear self-sustainable model. We are not going to spend £60 million on a player if they will not add to that.”

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