'It's like Eastenders' - West Ham's boardroom battle on eve of Championship season

What the report says

West Ham United are entering their first Championship season in 14 years with optimism on the field but renewed uncertainty over who controls the club. BBC Sport reports that manager Nuno Espirito Santo and captain Jarrod Bowen have committed to stay, while summer signings and strong season-ticket sales have softened the blow of relegation. The club begin their league campaign at Burnley, but attention remains fixed on events behind the scenes.

The core dispute centres on shareholdings among David Sullivan, Vanessa Gold and Daniel Kretinsky. Sullivan stepped down as co-chair after allegations against him, which he denies, and Gold and Kretinsky initially said they wanted to protect the club and move toward a deal that would make Kretinsky the dominant shareholder. That plan was later complicated when Gold agreed to sell her shares to a consortium led by Amanda Staveley.

BBC Sport says the situation is tangled by West Ham’s pre-emption rules, which require major share sales to be offered first to existing shareholders, and by other contractual limits that could affect any takeover attempt. Kretinsky’s separate sale of a small stake to Jakub Havrlant has added another layer of uncertainty. The article says no one involved has fully explained their wider strategy, leaving supporters frustrated by another round of boardroom turmoil as the season begins.