The Guardian goes after Moshiri's property links with Usmanov

Everton owner London House

Alisher Usmanov: Oligarch says he ditched mansions before sanctions

Most of the Usmanov/Moshiri links they're talking about go back a decade or more, but shit sticks.

Seems like Usmanov and other oligarchs put their assets beyond the reach of sanctions years ago, so somebody is going to get a kicking from the media, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was Mr Moshiri.

Relegation could be the least of our problems.

And he doesn't strike me as a guy who cares much about a kicking in the media.

No issues there in my opinion.

If there's a media pile-on on Moshiri, he'll either have to show the bollocks to ride it out until someone else becomes public enemy number one, or he'll have to apologise for whatever it is he hasn't done, and put the club up for sale. Which, let's face it, wouldn't be the worst outcome for him.

Moshiri might comment on this issue at some point, but I wouldn't count on it. He has no legal or sanction vulnerability, and very little financial exposure to Usmanov's problems -- according to Forbes, he sold off most of his stock in MSM a while ago, and most of his assets are likely in nice, safe cash.

I would be very, very surprised if he had to either apologize or sell the club based on any of this.

Bit of “fancy footwork” gone on there by the look of it.

What other personal gifts has he received from the hated Russian oligarch? Further investigation into all areas of Moshiri's private life must be conducted by our fearless media until we get to the bottom of these dastardly deeds.

Sanctions are working because the value of the rouble has tumbled and Russian stocks have been hit badly. But any real connection between oligarchs' yachts or old mansions now with old friends, and indiscriminate bombing in Ukraine, which the West seems totally incapable of stopping, seems tenuous at best.

While a new ground is being built, clubs tend to try to keep overheads as low as possible (see Arsenal), so a season or two down in the Championship before a big push to get us back into the PL just before BMD is opened might be just the ticket for a new owner.

Of course, it's quite possible that I'm talking bollocks. Wouldn't be the first time.

I'm guessing that nobody's going to force him to sell. Not the UK government and not the media.

Michael #8, correct. There's nothing wrong with reporting these links between Usmanov and Moshiri -- they were widely assumed anyway -- but there hasn't been even a whisper in the press that these transactions were illegal in any way, or that sanctions on Usmanov could possibly impact Moshiri.

Nor has there ever been the slightest sign that Moshiri cares one bit about tooling his image for the public. His PR firm, Finsbury Glover Hering, is known for its ability to protect its clients from the press.

There was a previous article about Abramovich and his assets, and doubtless there will be more in the same vein.

The Moshiri transactions seem to be of an historic nature, although it’s not totally clear.

Nobody is saying any of the transactions is illegal, but the current situation makes them doubly newsworthy. Once because of Ukraine obviously, and twice because it’s an ongoing narrative about how Londongrad is run, and how wealthy people manage their affairs. Nobody will be surprised by the fact that Moshiri and Usmanov have a close business relationship.

Outburst of outrage guaranteed!

The chances are you were wrong then and now! And I don’t reckon they criticised anyone here, merely reported the issue.

But it was done to keep the newspaper out of the hands of unscrupulous profiteering owners who wouldn't safeguard its liberal views, should the family have been forced to sell to cover the inheritance tax.

Essentially, it was given away to a non-profit trust to protect the integrity of the newspaper.

I think he got rid of his shares, maybe a while ago. That’s maybe evidenced by the fact that Usmanov is no longer a “connected person” as far as Everton is concerned.

I agree that he may not be concerned by this reporting.

The Guardian maybe not to your liking but I still think it is the most impartial of all the British newspapers.

It doesn't sensationalise the news. It may appear leftist to some but that is probably because they have right wing views, like it seems many have today, which is disappointing. How else did we wind up with a Tory government and Brexit?

Moshiri worked for Usmanov. It's not a good look.

The Guardian and The Telegraph are two cheeks of the same arse – both pander to the tribal prejudices of their readership.

Just my opinion, mind you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6y3TIdVi320

Gbamin is #27. Goal at 1:17 and an absolutely elegant assist at 2:27.

That may not be a good look either, but nobody on either side has complained.

PS... I agree with you on the Guardian. I read something there almost every day.

That's cheered me up on a very long train journey.

Although does that make anyone occupying the centre ground an arsehole?

I think a more pressing question for Everton is if the major shareholder is still committed to building the new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock? And if he is, would that still be the case if we got relegated?

I know the building of a new stadium doesn't impact on FFP but it's still a huge commitment to make, and for Moshiri to commit to carry on building even if we get relegated would be a massive gamble that, without the financial backing of Usmanov, I can't see it happening.

Looking on the positive side and we avoid relegation, what sort of money is going to be available to Lampard and our DoF? I wonder how appealing the job will be to Lampard if he has to sell off his better players, and try and rebuild on a shoestring?

This latest BBC investigation appears to make far more of our owner's role in Usmanov property and perhaps share-based dealings.

All unproven in a court of law, of course, but potentially damaging to both the reputation and feasibly the very future of Everton FC and its place in the present domestic footballing pyramid.

Points deductions are real. Just ask Wayne.

How did they fall for someone like Kenwright? I'd argue that's self-explanatory, after just reading those two articles.

So can UK nationals be sanctioned in the UK?

Dirty money, dubious deals and even more dubious relationships, it's the lifelong fodder of speculation in the press.

Put it all together and truth comes second to a good dose of righteous indignation and rattling of pitchforks. It diverts attention from a PM on the brink of being ditched for his own transgressions, not perceived ones either.

This dreadful invasion of Ukraine by one of the most terrifyingly inhumane bastards the world has seen for years, needs standing up to. Sanctions, whilst painful for the Russian people, will have little short-term effect on Putin but, in the meantime, he deliberately targets the general population for extinction, to seize an opportunity to take back a country Russia once controlled.

Anyone making a profit from these despicable crimes through association, is as guilty as Putin themselves and deserves the sanctions, but rich people associate with rich people for their influence, power and money. Putin and Russia, since the break up of the old USSR, has been fertile ground for the rich where such influence has brought great wealth for the friends of Putin.

Usmanov is shown as a significant associate and supporter of Putin, how much was convenience or real support, we can only speculate, but like a pebble in a pond, the ripples and indignation touch those associated.

Moshiri and Usmanov are a double act, but an arm's length one. I dare say there will be more calls for investigation into any possible illegal dealings, but both Usmanov and Moshiri have obviously hired the best to ensure everything is done legally to protect themselves from possible or further sanctions.

However, we are also talking about not just legal issues, we are talking about what is morally right. Association with a leader with as few morals as Putin puts you in the same pond with the same condemnation, and rightly so. Dirty money has become blood money...

The reason why these oligarchs are under sanctions is their friendship with Putin, in the hope that, by loosing a lot of their wealth, they will try to get Putin to stop this insane war on Ukraine.

I doubt very much if this will work, because I don't believe a psychopath has, or listens to anyone except himself. They have to listen to what he says, or does, or it's more than their wealth they lose.

Newspapers print stories to make money, whether it is true or not, and I have no doubt if they investigated the finances of their own papers, there will be Russian finance involved somewhere.

So as I understand it, Banks could have his business dealings blocked -- maybe that's what those calls refer to -- but nobody is coming to take away his house and boat or lock up his checking account. (If there's a legal beagle on TW who has better information, please correct me.)

Same is true in the US. Trump's hotel deal with Putin is blocked, but unfortunately no-one will confiscate his golf properties, his hair bleach or his orange tanning spray.

I think you're broadly right. The EU is different, and can impound stuff, like Alisher's boat. Here, they freeze assets like Chelsea, and deny access.

Of course they can change the law, but on the basis that it puts a lot of their fund raising at risk, they might demur!

Banks's business dealings are offshore, IOM and Gibraltar certainly. I'm not sure he is even a UK resident. So how much they can touch him is uncertain.

I agree on your comment, anyone making a profit from these despicable crimes is as guilty as Putin themselves.

This is why I raised the question about Newcastle. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a Muslim country run by a royal family. Guilty of crimes against humanity with their treatment of foreign workers, guilty of the death of a journalist, just put to death 81 people by beheading, plus restrictions against women.

The FA .agreed to the Newcastle takeover by The Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia. With the chairman being Mohamed Bin Salmon who is the son of the King of Saudi Arabia, and you can't get an association any closer than that.

It has brought us ill fortune, in the Club’s ridiculously mis-managed attempts to get us into “the elite”, which is awash with similarly dubious funds. Players, managers, staff and directors have supped deeply from the polluted pool.

Everton Football Club is no longer the institution most of us were brought up to support. Yes, we were rich in the 60s, but so far as I am aware that money was legitimate. Now we are a shambles, and in grave danger of sliding downhill rapidly. The occasional great moment, such as we witnessed last Thursday, is deeply over-shadowed by the regular dross.

If a football club could talk, I would want ours to say “We have been stupid. We relinquish all dubious funds. We will take the consequences of our foolishness. If that means dropping down several divisions, to start again, we will do so”.

It would restore some pride. Who knows, it might even be fun, something we have had very little of for over 30 years.

A very noble sentiment, but the club would never rise again, it would be virtually impossible in this city of ours to retain the young fans and breed new ones if Everton are not playing at the same level as we've become accustomed to.

As it stands, we may not have the option to choose the righteous path, as the runes would seem to indicate we will be punished by some authority or other - despite everything seemingly being legitimate and legal until Putin's troops set foot in Ukraine last month.

Meanwhile, Chelsea will suffer virtually very little damage if the takeover goes ahead, and they may indeed become stronger – Everton that!

John Moores never operated this way. As a self-made man, he was hard and ruthless in business dealings and insisted Everton was run in a way it could pay its way - most of his money into the club was by way of loans eventually repaid - it certainly was not as now, seemingly a way of cleaning up potentially ill-gotten gains.

I am unsure which way Everton will go, but either way, it has a long road back to being the club we have devoted significant quantities of emotional investment into over a lifetime of support.

I do hope whatever happens at season's end, and my heart begs for premier status retained; my head relegation, that there is some bloodletting at hierarchy level within the club and the reset button pressed. Sadly, I may be thinking wishfully.

On a somewhat related topic. Moshiri might want out so much he'll 'reluctantly' bow to the (imagined) pressure and put us up for sale, (but I doubt they'll be 5 suitors like at Chelsea though.)
Then spawny Boys Pen Bill will probably get his trainset back for a token £10 and a handshake.

Pre-Ukraine, due to the potential large debt problem, I used to worry about him bailing out, the thought seemed uncontemptably horrifying.
It shows you everything is relative -The way he staggers from one bad decision to another, its now a toss up which is worse.
Moshiri staying or Moshiri going..

Whither the teary fraud that brought him here though - that's the real question.

Only at Everton could you be scraping the pennies for over 20 years, finally get a buyer who splashes out over £450 Million on players, only to be worse off.

Then have a sleeping partner in Usmanov, who can no longer invest, due to an invasion.

So that’s the First World War put a scupper to our title winning team, then Second World War ended our defence of the title, a Euro ban halting another, now seems another war might hamper our stadium build, team up the shitter, dancing close to ffp, anyone else think our football club is cursed.

Anyone spotted that Black Cat, since it came on the pitch against Wolves, back in 2019, must be lurking someone around Goodison.

What he did was partner with, and accept investment from, someone who accumulated his original pile in the corrupt Wild West of the failing USSR and leveraged his friendship with a dictator. If that makes our owner guilty by association, so be it, but that does not make him or his wealth illegitimate in my view.

I know little or nothing of Everton's historic owners, but I would be absolutely astonished if they were all free of any dubious practices in their wealth-building.

And I'm sorry, but the idea that dropping down a couple of divisions would restore pride and fun to being an Evertonian is a complete nonstarter for me. Crashing and burning is not a pride restorative.

People like Usmanov and his aid-and-abetter Moshiri - and there's loads like them - know exactly how to make their wealth inaccessible to first world law.

We have learnt from media revelations, sort of, of the Virgin Islands, Isle of Man, Caymans, Switzerland, Panama and as-unscrupulous-accountants-know-wherever-else, providing a very lucrative service to the wealthy, and the political whores they pay for services rendered in always turning a blind eye to them.

They are forever bomb-proof in the first world, even if the likes of the Ukraine situation removes large percentages of their £billions from them. They will still be fabulously rich.

It needs more than a first-world solution. It needs eye-to-eye extinction.......as in the good old days.

I've no doubt that accountants don't come cheap, not ones from Ernst and Young, Deloitte and Touche etc. but how many hours would they have to bill their clients to accrue 2 billion?

It seems a bit more likely that Moshiri's wealth is about as much his as that plush house in London belongs to his sister.

Maybe his accountant and adviser is a bit closer to home?

If so then I'm afraid there will be absolutely nothing to be proud of as the Club slides into obscurity. I stood at the back of the Gwladys Street on Thursday where I could see approximately halfof the pitch. Compared to almost every other team in the Premier League (and many in the Championship) our stadium is a disgrace. But never mind, he,y because the Grand Old Lady was rocking under the lights.

Evertonians have been lied to and taken for granted for far too long. We don't need to be on a downward trajectory to be proud of the club. We can be in a stadium fitting of our heritage playing in the best league in the world.

As others have pointed out, Moshiri does not appear to have done anything illegal in acquiring his wealth so personally I am happy for him to build the stadium then sell the club at a profit if he wishes to do so.

Evertonians like you, me and your grandchildren will be here long after the likes of Moshiri have moved on and I hope that they are watching the team in the stadium that they deserve.

David Squires on … the FA Cup, Chelsea and bolt-cutting antics at Everton. Our cartoonist looks back on the FA Cup quarter-finals and the fun and games involving a protester at Goodison Park

Try as I might, I can't shake Everton off, they keep dragging me back in. I guess I will have to keep suspending my critical faculties and continue supporting them, whilst getting my dose of proper footy by watching my 7-year-old grandson play (they lost 5-0 on Saturday) and Marine (who lost 0-2 last night). It's been a tough few days.

Off to the pond and if they drown they are innocent, or have we progressed by making "newspapers" the new Witch Finder General?

Salem? Find someone to buyem!

When I look back at watching young teams on Saturdays and Sundays I've got as many genuine funny stories as well as very good memories of the young skilful players I watched. Both gave me ample enjoyment, so stick with the Blues but carry on watching your grandson and your local amateur team.

Will they simply allow a new owner to buy the asset WITH the debt, and then effectively prevent any payments being made on it?

Will they get a new owner to pay the debt + a fee for club/brand and put it all into escrow (or seize the lot and use to fund Ukraine help?).

Have a feeling chelsea will come out of it smelling or roses, and we’ll end up with a “limp front” with the football acumen of a netball player.