It’s been a busy month for Everton owner Dan Friedkin, largely made up of rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous, and now spending some hours with Manchester City’s man of the moment.
Earlier this month he was in attendance for his son’s marriage in France. That big event saw him attenting with the likes of Timothy Chalamet and Kylie Jenner.
That was a good start to the month. Then he got the news this week that Roma’s new stadium had been approved and is now one step closer to finally getting underway.
Rubbing shoulders again
Now he’s back to rubbing shoulders with the elite, or at least the European football elite. Why? He’s been in attendance at the latest General Assembly of the European Club Association.
Corriere della Sera explain that the American owner broke his recent lack of public appearances by showing his face at the annual event.
Indeed, he was almost a star guest at the event. Various attendees were seen approaching him and ‘singing the same tune “Congratulations on how the team is performing and on the progress regarding the stadium.”
Friedkin, in turn, responded “Yes, this is a truly great moment for us”.
The newspaper states that Friedkin – the silent president – sees the ECA as an opportunity for networking, cultivating relationships and generally having a nice time.
Manchester City connection
He certainly used the event for networking. He was seen in deep conversations with PSG’s Nasser Al-Khelaifi and Manchester City CEO Ferran Soriano.
Indeed, he chatted at length with the Manchester City chief. He was seated next to Friedkin in the front row throughout the proceedings. There’s no mention of what the Everton owner may have been discussing with his Premier League counterpart.
Soriano, of course, is currently grappling with the bombshell of the Premier League finding Manchester City guilty of the 115 charges against them. Friedkin can perhaps offer some advice on that front, with Everton also being sanctioned for PSR breaches in recent years.
In this instance – and has often be the case – Everton are in the background anyway. It’s all about Roma and their current success.
Corriere even stated that ‘Roma is sitting at the table’. They are holding a prime position and getting recognition from everyone in Europe thanks to Friedkin’s attendance at the event. As per usual, Everton seem to have been an afterthought.
