Sheffield Wednesday are the EFL’s current crisis club, with the Owls entering the season in disarray following a turbulent summer over the last few months.
Danny Rohl left by mutual consent last week, following in the footsteps of Josh Windass and Michael Smith, who both terminated their contracts to go on free transfers due to late payments.
As supporters become increasingly anxious about Wednesday’s future, Botafogo and Olympique Lyonnais owner John Textor is reportedly interested in buying the club from current owner Dejphon Chansiri.
Textor must be welcomed by Sheffield Wednesday
Textor has a checkered past as an owner, and his larger participation with football teams has made headlines this summer, but Sheffield Wednesday’s condition is severe.
According to FLW’s Sheffield Wednesday Fan Pundit, Patrick McKenna, the Owls would welcome Textor’s arrival, which may bring some benefits.
Patrick explains, “The fundamental dilemma and the truth of the matter is that someone must take over the club. If Dejphon Chansiri remains as owner, the club’s survival is in serious jeopardy.
“Someone needs to come along and simply take it, whether it is John Textor or someone else.
“It’s exhausting and aggravating to constantly hear rumors that X or Y is in the lead, and John Textor’s name hasn’t gone away in recent months.
“Would I welcome him to the club?” The answer needs to be yes.
“He hasn’t been out of the headlines in the last few months because of what’s happened at his other clubs, but what I’m looking at, and the only thing I’m focused on, is what he can bring to Sheffield Wednesday, and for starters, it’s a lot more than Dejphon Chansiri.”
“The person is an experienced businessman, whereas Chansiri is not one at all. He has football expertise and experience, and I believe he has developed a strong desire to take over a new English team.
| John Textor’s involvement at clubs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Club | Period | Stake |
| Botafogo | January 2022 – present | 90% |
| RWD Molenbeek | January 2022 – present | 80% |
| Lyon | June 2022 – present | 77.49% |
| Crystal Palace | August 2021 – June 2025 | 43% |
“One thing that could possibly work in our favor if Textor takes over is the multi-club ownership concept, as we could potentially bring in some players from some of his other clubs to get over the embargo, which may not even be lifted after the takeover.
“Another thing about Textor is that Dave Richards is rumored to be coming over as chairman, so he won’t be attempting to run the entire operation on his own and will be aiming to put in a suitable framework to govern the club.
“I think he will have the knowledge to identify the key areas of concern around the club, such as the lack of infrastructure and a lack of any sort of policy for transfers.”
Textor’s summer problems with Lyon and the Crystal Palace
Botafogo fans frequently express their discontent with how Textor has managed the Brazilian giants, despite the fact that they have had some success on the pitch.
He is also not popular with another club he owns, Racing White Daring Molenbeek, which he wants to rename after being relegated from the Belgian Jupiler Pro League last season.
Lyon were relegated administratively by Ligue 1 earlier this summer, after being cautioned for most of the previous year about how they presented their finances to French football authorities.
They were returned into the French first division after an appeal, but they will almost certainly have to start following the rules, which will need some drastic modifications in their operations.
Because Textor is deemed by UEFA to have a controlling interest in both clubs, and Lyon won their appeal, Crystal Palace has been demoted from the UEFA Europa League to the UEFA Europa Conference League.
There isn’t a single group of supporters, and there are many of them, that are pleased with Textor, but Sheffield Wednesday is in a desperate situation.
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