Became The Premier League’S Youngest Manager [EN]: Chapter 22

22: Qualification Review for Owners and Directors

“The qualification review for owners and directors examines reasons why an individual cannot become the owner or director of a club. This includes criminal penalties for various offenses, disqualification from sports or professional groups, or specific violations of football regulations such as match-fixing.”

Helena continued reading the text on the screen.

“This review is conducted on potential owners and directors and is reassessed every season. Detailed information about the review can be found in Section F of the Premier League Handbook. That’s what’s written on the Premier League website.”

Having read this far, Helena opened another file.

“This is Section F of the Premier League Handbook. They’ve written six and a half pages of unnecessary talk, but if you take out the obvious stuff about not being a criminal, the conclusion is that they decide as they see fit. There’s even a clause that says: Failure to provide requested information or providing incorrect information will be considered a disqualification.”

Helena closed her laptop, looking dumbfounded.

“Basically, if they don’t like you, they’ll find some excuse to kick you out. This isn’t some social club.”

Both Mike Garlic and John Banaskiewicz flinched as if they’d been hit.

“Ah, it’s not that bad…”

“No, it is that bad. Such broad and comprehensive regulations can only be interpreted as meaning they’ll do as they please. They could even ask for a list of boyfriends I’ve had since I was 14 or what color underwear I’m wearing now.”

“Cough!”

Both middle-aged men almost spat out their tea at Helena’s explicit example.

“Surely not that far… The reviews so far have been mere formalities. Of course, really problematic individuals are filtered out, but I passed too.”

Mike Garlic, having barely swallowed his tea, defended, but Helena shook her head.

“No. Something doesn’t feel right. It’s the same feeling I had when I first submitted the mine closure application in Brazil and the environmental agency suddenly summoned me to Brasilia [Brazil’s capital city].”

“What kind of feeling is that?”

Helena frowned at John Banaskiewicz’s question.

“The feeling that something bad is going to happen even though it’s not my fault?”

“Why now?”

After spending a long time organizing the various forms and documents required for the qualification review, Mike Garlic, confused by Helena’s question, asked back.

“Why now? Cartwright Fund acquired Burnley Football Holdings in early August. But now it’s late September. The handbook clearly states that they must report immediately if the owner goes bankrupt or ownership is transferred.”

“Oh, maybe they got tired of waiting for the report?”

At Mike Garlic’s point, Helena shook her head.

“Surely not. The change in Burnley’s ownership was big news in the press. Surely the EPL [English Premier League] secretariat isn’t so aloof that they don’t even watch the news, are they?”

“Of course not.”

Mike Garlic chuckled and replied.

“Then why now? Today is September 20th. The acquisition was completed on August 5th and was immediately exposed to the media, so it’s been almost a month and a half.”

“Uh…”

Mike Garlic and John Banaskiewicz, at a loss for an answer, looked at each other.

Helena, who had been agonizing with her head in her hands, suddenly looked up.

“You two have acquaintances at the Premier League secretariat, right?”

At Helena’s question, John Banaskiewicz replied.

“We do, depending on what you want.”

“It’s nothing much. Just call and ask how they are, and find out what the noisiest or most troublesome issue is at the secretariat these days.”

“The noisiest or most troublesome issue?”

At John Banaskiewicz’s puzzled expression, Helena waved her hand as if it were nothing.

“Ah, I just want to check something out.”

John Banaskiewicz, tilting his head at Helena’s words, picked up his phone and left the conference room.

About ten minutes later, John Banaskiewicz shook his head and re-entered the conference room.

“What did they say?”

“Nothing much. Just talking about useless budgets and COVID. They said they’re busy because of Newcastle.”

“Newcastle? Why Newcastle?”

“Oh? Because of the Newcastle acquisition.”

Mike Garlic answered indifferently at Helena’s question.

“Is Newcastle being acquired?”

“Last year, a consortium led by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) applied to acquire Newcastle, but it was rejected. The parliament and the Premier League secretariat made a fuss, saying that Saudi Arabia’s human rights issues and unauthorized broadcasting were serious problems. But they’ve submitted another acquisition application this time…”

Mike Garlic, who was explaining, suddenly stopped talking.

At the same time, the three people who realized the situation looked at each other.

“Ah, god damn it.”

Helena couldn’t help but curse.

***

It was clear that the Premier League secretariat had requested the qualification review for Burnley’s owners and directors because of the PIF consortium.

But they couldn’t figure out why they sent the summons at this point, or with what intention.

At least, Helena, Mike Garlic, and John Banaskiewicz all agreed that the Premier League secretariat was not conducting the qualification review for Burnley’s owners and directors a month and a half after the acquisition to make up for the administrative measures that had been lacking.

While Mike Garlic and John Banaskiewicz were imagining all sorts of scenarios, Helena, who was acutely aware of the absolute lack of information, was racking her brains when John Banaskiewicz’s phone suddenly started vibrating.

At first, he ignored it, but as the phone kept ringing, John Banaskiewicz, with a slightly annoyed expression on his good-natured face, went to a corner of the conference room to answer the phone.

Meanwhile, Helena said to Mike Garlic.

“No matter how I think about it, I don’t think the Premier League secretariat has good intentions towards us.”

“Uh… well… that might be the case, but why would those guys be hostile to us?”

“It could be their circumstances, not ours. We don’t have enough information right now. We need to check more details and gather information.”

At Helena’s assertion, Mike Garlic frowned thoughtfully.

“But I don’t think they’ll answer if we ask the Premier League secretariat directly, will they?”

“It’s difficult to ask formally. Would it be difficult for Mike or John to check privately?”

“Well, I can ask about simple things right away… If the Premier League secretariat is planning something targeting us, there’s no one close enough to tell us such sensitive information. To find someone, we’d have to check with other reliable acquaintances to see if there’s such a person and then approach them, but to do that…”

“There’s no time.”

The qualification review for owners and directors presented by the Premier League secretariat is this Thursday.

Only 3 days left.

“Then we’ll have to find someone else who knows something.”

“Someone who knows something? Who is that?”

At Mike Garlic’s question, Helena answered.

“Someone who is at odds with the Premier League secretariat, or someone who might want to help us. The first thing that comes to mind is the PIF consortium, but who’s the representative there?”

“Well… the representative of the consortium is Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the CEO of PIF [Public Investment Fund]…”

“Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the CEO of PIF? I think I can contact him directly through my father?”

Mike Garlic looked dumbfounded at his young colleague, who was casually summoning the head of one of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds with $620 billion in assets.

“Uh… but he’s not directly involved in the acquisition. The person in charge of the practical work will be Amanda Staveley.”

“Amanda Staveley? Do you know her?”

“I don’t know her directly, but I can find a way to contact her.”

“Wouldn’t it be faster to contact Yasir Al-Rumayyan?”

As Helena was fumbling in her jacket pocket to take out her cell phone, another voice interrupted their conversation.

“I don’t think that will be necessary.”

It was John Banaskiewicz, who had finished his call and rejoined them.

With a flustered face, he told Helena and Mike Garlic.

“It’s an acquaintance who has a relationship with the PIF consortium… Amanda Staveley wants to meet us?”

“…Us?”

All three of them couldn’t hide their bewildered expressions, and Helena asked.

“To be exact, she wants to meet someone who can make the final decision at Burnley.”

Mike Garlic and John Banaskiewicz looked at Helena at the same time.

Helena slowly nodded.

“Where and when?”

“As soon as possible. At least before the Premier League secretariat’s review. The location is the PIF consortium’s temporary headquarters in London.”

“Okay. Then, I’ll have to go to London.”

“When are you leaving?”

Mike Garlic asked at Helena’s declaration.

“Now.”

***

The distance from Burnley to London is approximately 230 miles.

If you walk non-stop, it takes about 67 hours, which is a little over two and a half days.

Of course, this is not the Stone Age, and Helena naturally went to Manchester Airport and took a one-hour flight to London Heathrow Airport.

Before afternoon tea time, she arrived at the PIF consortium’s temporary headquarters in the City of London, the heart of London’s financial industry, which once dominated the world.

Of course, Helena did not waste her travel time.

It was too late to order the Cartwright Fund’s research team to investigate, but on the plane to Heathrow Airport and on the Heathrow Express into London, Helena looked up all the articles and materials related to the Newcastle club acquisition and the PIF consortium.

When the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) formed a consortium with British businessmen and financiers to acquire Newcastle United Football Club, opinions were divided among the media and the public about its purpose.

Some said it was a simple financial investment taking advantage of the Premier League’s growth.

Some said it was an attempt to divert international attention from their country’s human rights issues through cultural activities such as football.

Some said it was a battle of pride to beat Manchester City, which is owned by Abu Dhabi, a neighboring ally, and the United Arab Emirates.

Some said it was an attempt to pour cold water on the news that Qatar, a regional competitor, was hosting the World Cup for the first time in the Arab world.

However, whatever the reason why Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund PIF participated in the acquisition of Newcastle, everyone agreed on one thing.

That the key figure in this consortium was Amanda Staveley, a British financier who owns 10% of the consortium with her husband.