Liverpool FC Forum

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has admitted that the Premier League's lack of a level financial playing field put him off buying Liverpool in 2005 and has deterred him from making another move when being linked with the Merseyside club in recent years.

Kraft is one of the most powerful and successful owners in American sports and his Patriots have reached six Super Bowls and won three NFL titles since he took charge of the club in 1994.

But the billionaire businessman was not convinced he could replicate that kind of success at Anfield without the NFL's salary cap, revenue sharing and draft system and decided not to follow the likes of Stan Kroenke (St. Louis Rams and Arsenal), Malcolm Glazer (Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Manchester United) and Randy Lerner (Cleveland Browns and Aston Villa) into Premier League ownership.

Speaking during a promotional tour of London ahead of his Patriots taking on Kroenke's St. Louis Rams at Wembley Stadium on Sunday October 28, Kraft admitted: "We came very close to a deal. I love the game of soccer and David Moores and I bonded.

"But, in the end, I want to be able to compete at the highest level. Just look at what's happened this year with Manchester City - they lose hundreds of millions of pounds but they win the championship. And then there are teams like Chelsea.

"I didn't want to be in a league where I can't compete. I don't want to be in a situation where people are coming in and throwing money at things."

City fortunes

While Manchester City put Sheikh Mansour's fortune to good use and became just the fifth team to lift the Premier League trophy since 1992, the NFL has churned out 12 different Super Bowl winners during that same period.

Kraft's own Patriots, operating within a more structured financial budget, have won three Super Bowls in the past decade.

"One good thing about the NFL is that there is competitive balance and parity," Kraft stressed. "Fans in every community feel they have a shot.

"I loved the fan base at Liverpool. They're like our fans in New England in that they're loyal and good, but I felt that no matter how good an operator I was or how good we were at picking talent, I don't want to be in a business where people can just throw money and out-bid me.

"We could have bought the team before the last two sets of owners but sometimes the best decisions you make are the ones you don't make.

"The best deals are the deals you don't do. I would never want to disappoint that fan base, who have such high expectations. It was with great sadness that it didn't happen."

In addition to owning the Patriots, Kraft also owns Major League Soccer's New England Revolution.

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I am not sure if this deserves a topic of its own but it was interesting to me to see his thought process as to why he did not buy us and it makes me curious as to the agenda of the current owners. Do they think that "money ball" is the way to compete against City and Chelsea because Kraft certainly did not think he could. He seems to know that as an owner he owes the fans success and I hope the current owners are visionaries as that is what it is going to take to compete.


From skysports

seems like a shrewd and level headed bloke that kraft, he read the situation well

Yes to be fair he looks spot on.

The likes of city and chelsea will mean the playing field is in no way going to be on an even ground.

The rest of the clubs like ourselves are going to be left fighting for the last 2 champions league places through sound management and shrewd purchases.

Rodgers so far is talking a decent game but its going to be a struggle by the looks of it with the finances we appear to have, or not have.

Players like Borini who look like promising up and coming players need to hit the ground running and be successful.

We cant have this seasons signings doing the same as last.

We also need last seasons signings to come good, Henderson and Downing need to seriously step up to the plate this season.

ycsatbjywtbiastkamb » Mon Jul 16, 2012 1:21 pm wrote:seems like a shrewd and level headed bloke that kraft, he read the situation well

Easily said in hindsight .....Fuck him ,just another American slapping himself on the back .

RED BEERGOGGLES » Mon Jul 16, 2012 1:36 pm wrote:

ycsatbjywtbiastkamb » Mon Jul 16, 2012 1:21 pm wrote:seems like a shrewd and level headed bloke that kraft, he read the situation well

Easily said in hindsight .....Fuck him ,just another American slapping himself on the back .

but he made the decision without hindsight.
he could have taken us over and milked a few quid out of us but obviously he was aiming high and he saw he couldnt compete with the arabs and russians at the top of the game so he decided not to go through with the deal. fair dues to the fella i say.

Kraft is a very shrewd bloke, great business mind. He seems to be very well liked by fans of the teams he owns in Boston, also Steve Nicol speaks highly of him.

As long as he doesnt change Cadburys hes fine by me.

ycsatbjywtbiastkamb » Mon Jul 16, 2012 1:57 pm wrote:but he made the decision without hindsight.
he could have taken us over and milked a few quid out of us but obviously he was aiming high and he saw he couldnt compete with the arabs and russians at the top of the game so he decided not to go through with the deal. fair dues to the fella i say.

He made his decision yes ,but he surprisingly omitted the reasons pertaining to him going cold on the idea until now ..anyway mate, I really don't
want to discuss an American engaging in yet another opportunity to indulge in gratuitous back slapping .... He reminds me of an American version
of Dave Whelan .

RED BEERGOGGLES » Mon Jul 16, 2012 6:53 pm wrote:

ycsatbjywtbiastkamb » Mon Jul 16, 2012 1:57 pm wrote:but he made the decision without hindsight.
he could have taken us over and milked a few quid out of us but obviously he was aiming high and he saw he couldnt compete with the arabs and russians at the top of the game so he decided not to go through with the deal. fair dues to the fella i say.

He reminds me of an American version of Dave Whelan .

The sooner a wage cap and a transfer cap is introduced into European football the better. The nothing teams like Chelsea, Man City, Malaga and PSG are being brought by rich men who have no interest in making money or running football clubs properly, but who just see owning a football club as a toy etc. Chelsea and Manchester City are deep in the red and anyone who wishes to by those clubs in the future will no doubt be paying to clear that debt as well. Isn't Manchester City wage bill double the amount they make in revenue? It's unsustainable and sooner or later it will come crashing down around them.

People like Kraft, FSG and the owners of Arsenal have the right idea, they create a sustainable business model for their sports investments so that they can compete and stay financially sound. However this is often futile when you have people like Abramovich and Monsur who just use their clubs as a way to blow a load of their own fortune.

A wage cap will never happen. The top clubs will never agree to it.

Benny The Noon » Mon Jul 16, 2012 7:52 pm wrote:A wage cap will never happen. The top clubs will never agree to it.

No of course not, which is why I'll be happy when the collapse of the Premier League happens and clubs like the top five or six go down the creek.

Collapse of the prem league

If the prem collapses then every club will suffer.

Benny The Noon » Mon Jul 16, 2012 8:03 pm wrote:Collapse of the prem league

If the prem collapses then every club will suffer.

Nein, Bayern Munchen nicht Schadenfreude.

Bayern Munchen es ist wonderschon.

Ich unterstützen, Bayern Munchen.

Bayern aren't in the Prem league

But good diversion from the point because you can't answer it.

Kraft used to do awesome cheese slices on a crusty barm with tomato and onion heaven