Derby County fans were left shocked by their new owner’s bold claims which were made in his first interview this week taking the club over.
Finally we have seen an end to the takeover saga as a deal has been agreed for Mel Morris to sell the Championship club, having recently failed one with another party.
After four months of waiting for Derventio Holdings to give a green light to the funding to complete their deal, it fell through with Morris pulled the plug.
Derby are set to be taken over by Spanish businessman Erik Alonso.
The move is subject to EFL approval.
He’s only 29 and here are a couple of pictures from his Instagram. pic.twitter.com/muQFPFi12s
— The Second Tier (@secondtierpod) April 7, 2021
Other parties were watching and waiting though and in April it was confirmed that the ‘No Limits Sports’ consortium had agreed to purchase the Rams with the he leader of that group is a man no stranger to trying to buy Championship clubs in Erik Alonso.
He tried to go in for Sheffield Wednesday recently after being an advisor to their owner Dejphon Chansiri.
Thought to be backed by a group of Indonesians, Alonso, 29, attempted a coup in the region of £25 to 30 million at Hillsborough, but it didn’t happen and switched his attentions to Pride Park.
Alonso still needs to be given the go ahead through the EFL Owners’ and Directors’ Test before the takeover is approved, however he gave an exclusive interview to Sky Sports about his plans for his newest side.
Alonso said: “I’m really excited because I want to start this project. It’s a very big club and I will be more than happy to become the new owner.
“Derby’s history is there. It speaks for itself. Derby is bigger than every one of us. What we want is to bring Derby back to its old days. That’s why it’s a very exciting project. If we can bring Derby back to its old days, back to Europe, that will be a great success.
“First of all we have to be realistic and stay in the Championship this season. We can’t think further than that. Let’s go step by step. After we reach that objective we will speak with (chief executive) Stephen (Pearce) and Wayne and set up the next season.
“Next season we will be fighting for the play-offs and the promotion to the Premier League. Why not?
“We will not change Wayne. He has all my support. He is a very good coach and a very good person. He is learning with us and we are learning from him. (And) Stephen is a good person and professional man and he has all my support. He will be with us for sure.
“Roman Calderon will be the club lawyer. He will be with us. He is a close friend of mine, and who better than him to advise me? He was the president of the biggest club in the world, so I will be very happy with him in the team.”
🗣”What we don’t do is throw the money, that is not how we work.”
Derby County’s perspective new owner Erik Alonso says he is targeting the Premier League next season and has backed Wayne Rooney to lead the club forward pic.twitter.com/u7RWzsbYzL
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) April 10, 2021
“I will not say how much money I have, and that’s normal,” he said. “We will spend the right money. If we think a player is right for us, and we will spend it. If there is one for free, we will do that too.
“We will not throw the money. We will do things properly. If we need to spend £20m we will, if we need to spend £150m then we will. It depends. We have that sort of money. If the team needs that, we will do it.
“First we will talk to Wayne about which players will continue next season, and which others we will bring.
“It’s just me. I will not talk about any backers, because right now it’s me. I am the one who will fund and work for the club. I’m a common guy, a simple person. I talk with everyone. I can say hello to everyone.
“I’m just a businessman who had luck and success in my businesses. I don’t want to look arrogant but I am wealthy enough. My experience speaks about me and what I will say to Derby fans is; don’t just trust my words, let me work and see what we will do.
“(Now) it depends on the EFL. But the takeover of the club is ready. If they tell to us be ready on Monday, I will be more than ready. I already saw the club, but I want to go there and to stay there, and look after the club on a day to day basis. For next season the plan is to come over (and live in the area).
“What I think will be a success would be take out all the debts, make a strong team, fight to go to the Premier League. If we go there it will be a success – but the biggest success would be to make all the Derby fans proud.”
SUMMARY:
– He is a wealthy man, and if a player costs £20m but is a good deal, they will buy him
– If it takes £150m to get Derby in Prem, he will pay it
– Rooney is a legend and will stay on as manager
– Ramon Calderon is close friend & will be #dcfc lawyer
– wants play-offs next season but Prem Lg is ultimate goal
– Stephen Pearce to stay CEO (Matt Southall is friend but won’t have formal role)
– wants Derby fans to be proud of him, and what club achieves
Derby fans as well as others were shocked by the new owner’s bold claims in his first interview…
😂😂😂he really is making a rod for his back, 20 million 😂😂😂 https://t.co/g1FWcp1mq1
— DCFC (@DcfcFansTalk) April 9, 2021
@samogara_: We’re doomed 😂
@dingdinghopkin: Hahaha my god, the bloke thinks he’s just taken over a club on football manager 😂
@LLJM__: Everyone strap in its gonna be one hell of a ride 🤣
@LewisJubb: Erik mate you heard of FFP?
@H4rrySmith: This is going to be an unmitigated disaster
@_omeara_r: Getting full Fawaz Al-Hasawi sat in his kitchen on East Midlands Today vibes from this
@Cannable95: We’re going bust, aren’t we?
@Stefreeman: What if it costs £151m is that out of the question?
@Maybot_8000: Oh in that case it’ll be asset strip, administration and all down to Mickleover Sports.
@BucksNFFC: This is going to be hilarious
@MarkShaw_Design: Surely £20m for a player in league 1 must be a record….
@84Blads: Because he can put his hand in his pocket and just spend 20 million 🤣🤡 Shows how informed he is of FFP. This is going to be great to watch. Direby County, the gift that keep on giving. You keep telling them what they want to hear 👍🤣
@dave_ltm: Jeez! Even with the points deduction and the growing fear of relegation…… sounds like Sheff Wed had a lucky escape!
@hill_hilly18: Dr Xia said the same for us.
@barrelwba10: So he’s staying on as manager because he’s a legend? Is he a good manager, Wouldn’t it be better to get a good manager maybe it wouldn’t take 150m to get up the.
@timbo_dolman: @joedolman_ can’t see this under FFP
@therealtbailey: This has car crash written all over it. And that’s coming from a Wednesdayite who’s owner epitomises the term car crash.
@BroLeao: Something’s telling me that he’s just slightly bending the truth here
@neilharrison5: I’m sure Fawaz gave us the same BS
@robbiehorsley: He’s out his head
@paulwilliams105: This is going to be interesting. Can’t wait to see this unfold. Hope he’s good at creative accounting as Mr Morris was. Still if he’s bought the whole club and stadium, he has the sell the stadium back to himself card that can be played should they breech FFP rules again!
@kensdavies: I have absolutely no faith in this fella – looks as dodgy as – fantasist
As mentioned, fans were shocked by new Derby owner’s bold claims in his first interview…
@gempopmoo: Derby fans are out in force calling the bloke out and being negative YET AGAIN!!!!! Shouldnt be surprised!!! The same fans that called themselfs dubi rams and put a camel in there name ffs #dcfc #dcfcfans
@b0ringgi3lby: This club is finished mate
@brearley_daniel: Too good to be true
@Matt_Huddo98: Announce point deduction 2022 😍
@BFC_Luke: They’ll never fucking learn.
@waynorams: This is going to be a car crash 😂😂
@tom_mcgarry17: This is brilliant, is anyone going to tell him about FFP? 😳😅😂
@TheLamberto: DODGY
@adamjdh8: Popcorn ready. This will be comedy gold. 🍿
@LUFC1992_v2: Can we all agree not to tell him about FFP just to see how this plays out
@totaldcfc: I absolutely cannot be fucked with this guy. Stinks of Fawaz.
@ActonEamon: This is going to end in tears
@JustinPeach27: He’s contradicted himself already? We’ve gone from young, hungry foreign imports to spending £20m if he has to. Matt Southall is a friend too. He’s unravelling himself
@Kingkennyl: Strap yourselves in folks, I think I know how this ends sadly but hope my gut instinct is massively wrong
@SteveBloomerPod: Alonso’s mixed messages confusing me already. ‘No further comment’ then sings like a canary to TalkSport and Sky. No ‘crazy spending’… but he’ll spend £150m to get us up. What is the *actual* specific strategy here…?
@Perky1106: This is how a 12 year old kid would imagine himself as a football club chairman.
@MachinDanny: Gonna be a bumpy ride with this bloke in charge #DCFC
@_omeara_r: Getting full Fawaz Al-Hasawi sat in his kitchen on East Midlands Today vibes from this
@Cannable95: We’re going bust, aren’t we?
@jonnyhardy7: Imagine having this clown as your owner 😂😂 I feel sorry for Derby to be honest. Not good to see a big club go under.
@WS19Eaton: So basically they’ll spend 100m this summer, not get promotion and ffp will fuck them up. If I was able to feel bad for them I wouldn’t. Let the new fawaz era begin
@_neilbates: I’m absolutely ready to get hurt again. Let the circus recommence. Up the Rams and up Erik Alonso
@crag06: Guys played to much Fifa
@Yidders: Let the fun and games begin.
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