Everton spokesman speaks out about latest Alisher Usmanov controversy, Premier League decline to comment
An Everton spokesperson has stated they are surprised to learn of the alleged Premier League investigation into their involvement with Alisher Usmanov, as revealed by The Times.
Usmanov was banned from the UK after Russia invaded Ukraine in September 2021, but a report from The Guardian on 3 May claims the Oligarch continued to fund Everton despite his assets being frozen in this country.
The appointment of his nephew to the Everton board has led the Premier League board to look into Usmanov’s connections. However, the Blues have said that they were unaware of any Premier League instructions regarding Usmanov, nor knew of the Home Office order at the time.
In a report by The Times [4 May], a spokesperson for the club said: “We are surprised to learn of this alleged Premier League investigation and subsequent correspondence, of which the club has no prior knowledge.”
The Premier League has declined to comment on any said investigation when approached by The Times.
He’s got to go
These allegations have certainly thrown Farhad Moshiri’s ability as the owner of Everton in fresh doubt once again. How many more farcical stories can the Toffees faithful take in regard to Moshiri’s lack of care for the club?
If such allegations are indeed true, then Moshiri’s ability and reputation as a business owner has got to be called into question.
The fact that he used Usmanov in interviews as revealed by an earlier report by The Guardian [15 January] certainly shows that he doesn’t have the bottle to make the tough decisions in regard to Everton football club.
Yet again, the club is thrown into disrepute with regard to this Usmanov controversy. When is all this investigation talk going to end at Goodison Park? Moshiri has got to leave at this point because it is the club that is being thrown under the bus instead of himself. Just look at where they are in the league.
It is evidently clear that the trust in him and the Everton owners have completely disintegrated. And it’s partly because of stories such as these.
And it is no wonder why there is so much negativity and unrest at Goodison Park as fans have grown tired of Moshiri’s lack of activity and most of all, the lack of communication and transparency that a club owner should be providing to their fans without question.