The Worst Football Club Owners

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The owner of a football club is almost as important as the manager or the players of a club. As he makes all the decisions that matter, and he has the final word in every issue. It’s not only about the money as we will see, but also about the communication between the owner, the club and the fans. Below are the worst football club owners of all time, who didn’t succeed in it.  

Obviously, there were demonstrations against the German club, Hoffenheim’s owner, Dietmar Hopp during the weekend in several Bundesliga games. Fans, don’t like him, what’s more, we can say they hate him. For the simple reason that he has the majority ownership at the club which is very rare in Germany. He is a billionaire, who has been sponsoring the club for more than 20 years. So he got permission from the German Football Association to buy it. According to online sportsbook news in the UK, the fans didn’t like this. As they see him as a local Arab or Russian tycoon. 

The worst football club owners from England

 However, some billionaire was motivated by the love for their favorite club, but it is not always enough. Like in the case of Mike Ashley, who bought Newcastle and made the club financially stable with selling off the best players. It wasn’t a popular policy with the fans though. Moreover, there was no chance for the team to fight for the title or even for European Cup positions. He also had some issues with the managers and wanted to sell the club at a point, in vain. Ashley also planned to rename the stadium to sportsdirect.com@St James Park.

Fourth division club Darlington’s situation got much worse after former criminal George Reynolds bought the club.  The club went into administration as online sportsbooks in the UK were reporting about it and he became one of the worst football club owners. So after his ownership, they relegated the club to the eight-tier. They are in the sixth tier, the National League North now. You can check the odds on Unibet Sportsbook and easily bet on the games.  

The man who ruined Rangers

Craig Whyte bought one of the most historical football clubs, Glasgow Rangers in 2011. He put the club into administration in the following year. As it came to light after a BBC investigation, he was buying the club with the fans’ money and was taking part in criminal acts. He had to step down as a director at the club. The new owner, Charles Green couldn’t help the club from liquidation either. The club was relegated to the fourth division. It took them four years to get back to the top league. Undoubtedly, he can be called the worst football club owners of all time. They are in second place at the moment behind old rival Celtic. Online gambling sites in the UK are not giving Rangers too much chance to become champion. Moreover, Unibet gives them chances of winning odds of 13.00.

A bad club owner from Spain

Of course, we can see examples of bad management in other countries as well. In Spain, the president of Atletico Madrid, Jesus Gil is the best example. He became president at the club in 1987 and was there until 2003. During these years he closed down the academy, so many talented young players left the club, including Raul. Gill also kept changing the managers of the team, they came and went whenever he felt like sacking one. 

The club won La Liga only once during this time, in the 1995/96 season. Even though Gill was spending a fortune on players and managers. He and his board were suspended in 1999 and in the chaotic situation the team fell out to the second division. They came back with the help of Luis Aragones in 2002, and have been in the top league since. Though they don’t have too many chances to win the title this season, they managed to beat Liverpool in the Champions League. They also have the chance to knock them out with the odds of 1.95. 

And from Italy

Luciano Gaucci was the owner of actually five Italian clubs, but he made the biggest mass at Perugia. The club went bankrupt in 2005, the police investigated him and his sons. The family left for the Dominican Republic but Gaucci returned to Italy in 2009 when he got a three-year suspended jail sentence. He was quite lucky to get away with it. What is even more important than the club managed to recover as well. Though it took a few years, they came back to Serie B, where they are currently playing.  

The most dangerous club owner

Even though the so-far mentioned club owners made a crime, usually a fraud, and you could expect anything from them.  But Zeljko Raznatovic can be called one of the worst football club owners. He was the owner of the Serbian team FK Obilic. At the same time, he sought by the Interpol for his murders and robberies, which he committed as a militia leader. His past wasn’t a problem though to buy a football club.  During his ownership, the club lived its most successful period, but not because of its improved football.

Undoubtedly, it was rather due to the methods of Raznatovic which were based on simple terror. His men were in the stands and sometimes pointing guns on the opposing players or threatening them in other ways. As we can read on online gambling news in the UK, the club won the Serbian league in the 1997/98 season but was closed to be banned from international competitions by UEFA, so Raznatovic stepped down. He died in 2000, after his reign the club went down to the lowest league, seven divisions under the Serbian top league. Don’t you think he is the leader of the worst football club owners?

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