Everton have always, surprisingly, loved Americans. They have enjoyed the likes of Tim Howard and Landon Donovan on the pitch, Sylvester Stallone being paraded at half time and even Bramley Moore Dock was designed by an American architect, Dan Meis.
So, when the Friedkin Group announced their takeover at the end of September, it was loud cheers all the way.
It brought an end to a takeover saga that had been dominated by Americans. First it was 777 Partners, then it was the Friedkins, John Textor, and finally the Friedkins again. They are expected to complete their deal before the end of the year.
The group will be welcomed with open arms at Goodison Park after the damage Moshiri has wrought. The task of restoring the Toffees will not be an easy one, but Dan Friedkin, a film producer, will be planning a revival worthy of Hollywood.
Football is not a new story for the group after their purchase of AS Roma in 2020 but their time in Italy so far should provide caution to enthusiastic Everton fans.
The Friedkins arrived at the club four years ago with big promises. They have put their money where their mouth is to achieve those aims.
Gazzetta dello Sport reported on 19th September that, to date, the American group have invested close to €1bn in Roma.
They have ‘spared no resources,’ spending €199m to buy the club and putting further money in each year. €163.3m was invested in 2020/21, €232.5m in 2022/23 and €20m in the first quarter of 2023/23. Another €37m has been spent buying shares from existing shareholders.
This serious investment has not produced the desired results. Despite cuts in operating costs, Roma’s budgets have closed ‘in constant deficit’ and the value of the club has remained ‘substantially frozen.’
When the Texans took over, the club was valued at €591m. That value is now at €604m and a demonstration of a project that ‘still hasn’t taken off’ according to the newspaper.
Raw numbers ignore work done behind the scenes, however. The Americans have worked hard on stabilising the club financially and bringing the club’s debt, which had ballooned under the previous regime, under control.
There has also been serious investment pumped into improving the club’s training facilities and enhancing the overall infrastructure, and they have continued to push a project to build a new stadium.
For context, Gabriel Batistuta’s €36.15m move in 2000 remains the club’s third biggest. The Americans also lured Paulo Dybala on a free transfer from Juventus. He was welcomed to Rome like a hero in front of thousands after receiving offers from around Europe, including the Premier League.
There was also the expensive hiring of Jose Mourinho. He delivered the club’s first European trophy, a success that Calcio e Finanza reported cost the club €19.9m in salary thanks to bonuses. That figure fell to €19.97m in 2022/23. It cost around €9m to sack him earlier this year.
The finances have been aided by a growing association with Saudi Arabia. Entertainment event organiser Riyadh Season became the front of shirt sponsor on a two-year deal worth $8.4m per year in 2023. Roma then signed 25-year-old Saudi Arabian defender Saud Abdulhamid from Al-Hilal, the first transfer involving a Saudi player and a major European league.
Improved financials have not improved matters on the pitch, though. That Conference League can be seen as anomaly. The club’s ultimate aim, qualifying for the Champions League, has proven elusive. So far Roma have finished seventh and then sixth in three consecutive seasons.
That, and other decisions by the management, have now led to strained relations with the club’s fanbase.
While the Friedkin Group have demonstrated an acute understanding of the importance of fan engagement, launching various initiatives aimed at connecting with the fan base, they currently find themselves facing criticism from the Romanisti.
The fanbase have responded with fury to the sacking of club legend Daniele De Rossi. Highly respected CEO Lina Souloukou has been forced to resign and Rome was plastered with posters stating ‘Yankees go home’ ahead of their Europa League opener at the end of September. Sport Mediaset reported this was one of just many examples of the fanbase galvanising against their American owners.
Even Claudio Ranieri has publicly criticised De Rossi’s sacking and what he perceived as a “lack of planning” while Walter Sabatini, the club’s former director of football, has accused the Friedkins of “unbearable arrogance”. Tensions are rising and more protests are scheduled to take place ahead of the clash with Inter Milan.
For all their spending, big transfers, and even a European trophy, The Friedkin Group have not won over fans. The impending purchase of Everton has only added to that tension. Roma fans are convinced they will be put to one side in favour of Premier League riches.
The Friedkins have regularly insisted that will not be the case, but nobody would be surprised if Everton, with a shiny new stadium at Bramley Moore Dock, were considered a more attractive bet, particularly if the Blue half of Merseyside are already on side.
Everton fans may want to be wary of giving that allegiance over too quickly, though. The Friedkins will undoubtedly be better than Moshiri, but they are not perfect either. Their time at Roma is evidence of that.
