Daniel Kretinsky to propose West Ham partnership with Sparta Prague

Daniel Kretinsky, the Czech billionaire negotiating the purchase of a 27 per cent stake in West Ham, will propose a partnership between the club and Sparta Prague which he has co-owned for 17 years, as a potential player development line for the Premier League side.

West Ham have already acquired three Czech internationals in the last two seasons, although none of Tomas Soucek, Vlad Coufal or loanee Alex Kral have come from Sparta who started the weekend in joint second position in the Czech First League. Kretinsky appointed the former Arsenal midfielder Tomas Rosicky as Sparta’s sporting director in 2018 and the 103-cap Czech international is understood to be a key advisor to the billionaire investor who spends a lot of time in London.

As the chairman of Sparta he attends games in person when he is in Prague as well as board meetings. Kretinsky, 45, owns 40 per cent of the club with the remaining 60 per cent owned by the central European investment group J&T Finance Group which is controlled by his business associate Patrik Tkac. Although Kretinsky is currently in negotiations for just a 27 per cent stake of the club, from the 86 per cent of West Ham controlled by David Sullivan and minority partner David Gold, it is possible he could eventually move for full control.

Ten per cent of West Ham is owned by the US billionaire Albert Smith who acquired his stake in 2017 from the club’s former Icelandic owners. An agreement which earns a percentage of any sale price of West Ham for the taxpayer, as part of the terms under which the club lease the publicly-owned London Stadium, expires in March 2023.

Should Kretinsky take full control of West Ham he would have to relinquish his stake in Sparta Prague were both clubs to compete in the same Uefa competitions. Sparta have been a regular in the Europa League in recent years. West Ham qualified for the same competition last season and are currently progressing well in the group stages. Uefa only permit individuals to control one club in their competitions in any given season.

As an investor, Kretinsky has built up stakes in Sainsbury’s and Royal Mail. The Czech Republic’s richest man, his moniker of the “Czech sphinx” is not one that is used in his home country. He regards West Ham, valued at around £600 million, as the most realistic option to invest in a upwardly mobile Premier League club with the big six out of reach of even a billionaire of his resources.