West Ham news: Kieran Maguire issues verdict on London Stadium hosting Champions League final
West Ham will not see any financial benefit if they host a major European final in the future – it will be the landlords who profit.
That is the view of finance expert Doctor Dan Plumley, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the re-organised Champions League final.
Uefa have moved the European club football showpiece from St Petersburg to Paris in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Daily Mail reported last Wednesday (23 February) that the London Stadium had also been one of the leading contenders to stage the match.
It is claimed that the owners were open to hosting the final at their rented 62,500-seater home in Stratford.
But Maguire does not believe that the Hammers would have gained any advantage for providing the venue for the flagship event.
“West Ham’s relationship with the stadium has a yin and yang to it,” he told Football Insider‘s Adam Williams.
“The biggest benefit to West Ham is that they are getting a £1billion stadium at a rental price of £3million-a-year.
“The price meant that Gold and Sullivan were able to use it in negotiations with Kretinsky.
“But the downside is that the stadium isn’t really seen as a West Ham product. So, no, I don’t think it would give them an edge in sponsor negotiations.
“If they were to host a major event in the future, it would be seen as a victory for the landlords.“
Uefa have also ditched their sponsorship deal with state-owned gas company Gazprom after Russia’s belligerence in Ukraine.
The Irons have given time off to Ukrainian winger Andriy Yarmolenko.
In other news, pundit issues “brilliant” Ben Johnson claim after significant West Ham update.