It was January 4, 2020, when Alisher Usmanov broke cover and stated his desire to put some of his considerable financial weight into football again.
Usmanov had sold his stake in Arsenal two years earlier and, during the course of a rare interview with the Financial Times, the man who once brazenly declared he was ‘proud to know Putin’ signalled the target of his intentions: Everton.
Farhad Moshiri, his long-standing business partner, was already the controlling shareholder and Usmanov, who was born in Uzbekistan but is a Russian citizen who lives in Moscow, saw a potentially exciting future.
Asked if he wanted to join Moshiri at Goodison Park, Usmanov said: ‘Yes. With great pleasure, if (Moshiri) asks. I am thinking about my investment in this club… I cannot reject Arsenal. I will not leave them as a fan.
‘But if I join Everton, then I will wear an Everton shirt, because I am a professional. They are going to build a new stadium. Why not the USM Arena? It is not obligatory for me to participate myself. I could just sponsor them.’
Not anymore. Everton suspended their links with USM — a Russian holding company with interests in metal and mining that is named after Usmanov, Moshiri and Andrei Skoch, another Russian billionaire — on Wednesday.
Usmanov, it is important to point out, is not on Everton’s board nor is he a benefactor to the club. He is not involved in the day-to-day running, has never visited Goodison Park to see Everton play — but there was no way they could have any kind of association with him.
USM paid £30million in 2020 to secure the exclusive option to bid for naming rights at the proposed new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock and they have sponsored Everton’s Finch Farm training base since 2017; that five-year deal expires at the end of this season.
On January 4, 2020, Alisher Usmanov said he wanted to put some money back into football
The Russian had sold his stake in North London club Arsenal (above) two years earlier
Also gone are the connections with Megafon and Yota, two Russian telecommunications firms. Megafon have their branding on the back of the Park End Stand at Goodison and their name adorned the front of Everton Women’s shirts. On Wednesday night, in a game against Aston Villa, those shirts were blank.
All three deals are believed to be worth in the region of £20m in total per year for Everton. They have faced Financial Fair Play issues recently and their accounts have made startling reading — they posted a £139.9m loss in December 2020 — but they had no other option.
Work has begun removing USM branding from Finch Farm and it is the ambition to have the stadium clear of all such references before the next Premier League home game against Wolves on Sunday week.
Usmanov previously said that he was proud to know Russian president Vladimir Putin (L)
The extent of Usmanov’s influence at Everton has become a particular source of curiosity. For instance, Rafa Benitez met Moshiri on Usmanov’s yacht in Sardinia last June but the controversial decision to appoint the Spaniard rested solely with Moshiri.
It was alleged in that Financial Times interview that Usmanov had a role in appointing Carlo Ancelotti, too, but this was vehemently denied by the club at the time. There have been other stories down the years, none of which have been possible to stand up categorically.
The latest inference was that Usmanov sat in on a Zoom meeting with Frank Lampard in January after Benitez had been sacked but Lampard was eager to explain, ahead of the FA Cup tie with Boreham Wood, the extent that he knows the 68-year-old.
‘I always try and stay away from talking about the interview (process) but I think this is important because of where we are at,’ he said. ‘As I went for my interview, Mr Usmanov was on a Zoom call with Mr Moshiri, our owner.
Usmanov is said to have a very close relationship with majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri
USM paid £30m in 2020 to secure the exclusive option to bid for naming rights at the proposed new stadium and they’ve sponsored Everton’s Finch Farm training base since 2017
‘I walked into that but at absolutely no point was that part of the interview. The interview happened after that event, with the board. I don’t think it’s right to talk about interviews. But that’s for clarification.’
Lampard, in the face of a difficult situation, spoke articulately on Wednesday but somehow it felt wrong for him to be in front of the cameras. He has only been in charge for 32 days and can’t be familiar with every facet of the club. His head will be spinning and he can’t look too far forward.
‘It doesn’t worry me at this point,’ said Lampard, when asked if he was concerned about the implications of possibly having his transfer kitty wiped away.
‘I’ve got 14 Premier League games, plus cup games potentially, to worry about before I worry about any of that stuff.
Also gone are the connections with Megafon and Yota, two Russian telecommunications firms
‘The recent events of this week have come very quickly at us all to digest exactly the ramifications. It’s difficult at the moment. Who knows what the future holds at so many different levels? I can only control the games in front of us and the objectives this season.’
What would help is Moshiri issuing a statement to explain what this means for Everton, for building that new stadium and the club’s long-term financial health.
He might not like speaking publicly but in times of crisis, strong leadership is required. He needs to step forward.
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