Charlton owner Tahnoon Nimer removes chairman Matt Southal from board in latest twist

The crisis at Charlton Athletic took another twist today when majority shareholder Tahnoon Nimer announced he had removed chairman Matt Southall from the board of directors.

In a statement on the club’s website, Nimer said Southall and director Jonathan Heller had been removed and replaced by Romanian duo Claudiu Florica and Marian Mihail.

Nimer and Southall’s East Street Investments group purchased Charlton in January. Nimer’s Panorama Magic General Contracting LLC owns a 65 per cent shareholding in the club, but Southall owns the other 35 per cent so removing him completely could be complicated.

Nimer also said his priority was to get Charlton’s transfer embargo lifted but he did not mention providing the EFL with outstanding documents to show proof of funds.

Nimer said: “I am pleased to be able to appoint Claudiu and Marian to the Board so that Charlton can move forward.

“It has been a difficult few weeks for everyone involved at the football club and this is a positive step in the right direction.

“Our priority now is stabilising the short-term future of the football club in the midst of the Covid-19 crisis and working with the EFL to get the club’s transfer embargo lifted to demonstrate our long-term commitment to Charlton Athletic.”

Southall had said on Thursday he was not walking away from Charlton. “Mr Nimer brought two other men with no standing at Charlton and he and those two men have collectively decided they are the board," said Southall in a statement. “Protocol has not been followed. Mr Heller and I both remain committed to the club.”

It is unclear if the two Romanians have passed the EFL’s Owners’ and Directors’ test.

Mihail, who graduated from the Johan Cruyff Institute in 2014, practises law from the Romanian capital of Bucharest.

In 2011 Florica founded Regal Sport Bucharest, an academy partnered with Atletico Madrid, but aside from that does not have an extensive background in sport.

Nimer has been in attendance at Steaua Bucharest games in recent weeks and months, sparking rumours he would also look to take a controlling stake in the club, though he insists his focus is on Charlton.