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Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has warned about the motives of foreign investors in French football, suggesting a commission should be set up to ensure they are not solely seeking to make money.
Former Arsenal boss Wegner, who now works as FIFA’s chief of global football development, believes an increase in purchases from overseas sources can have a negative effect on the game if not monitored closely.
Marseille, Bordeax and Le Havre all have American owners, while Toulouse – who were relegated to Ligue 2 following the decision to abandon the 2019-20 top-flight campaign – are in talks with an investment firm out of the United States.
In the Premier League, Newcastle United are expected to be purchased by a Saudi Arabia-backed consortium. Wenger believes a process needs to be implemented to ensure “football culture” is not eroded away by those with eyes only on finances.
“Unfortunately, I think today we are witnessing a reverse phenomenon,” Wenger told beIN SPORTS.
“For example, if you take French clubs, they gradually fall into the hands of people who are not real builders for the future of the club, but rather investors who seek to earn money very quickly.
“We can see in France today there are a lot of problems at this level because the clubs are dissatisfied, the supporters feel that the primary goal is not to build a good team but to achieve financial game.
“Perhaps we should create a Club Purchasing Ethics Commission to see what the real intentions of the people who buy our clubs are.
“You can’t squander a country’s football culture just for financial reasons.”
