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Richard Masters goes public for first time on how Newcastle United takeover was approved

2 years ago
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It  is 50 days now since the Newcastle United takeover was completed and now Richard Masters has talked publicly for the first time since then about the Premier League approval of the day.

In his first public comments since the handing over of the keys to St James Park, Richard Masters saying he is ‘comfortable and satisfied’ that the Saudi state will not interfere with the running of Newcastle United.

The Premier League chief executive insisting that after investigating, the PL were satisfied that when it came to Saudi PIF and Saudi state: ‘There is a corporate difference between the two, there is.’

Richard Masters also stating that the Premier League had received “legally binding assurances” that the Saudi state would not control the club and that the new Newcastle United owners could be removed if ‘evidence to the contrary’ was discovered.

Richard Masters speaking to BBC Sport – 26 November 2021 – asked about making a distinction between the Saudi state and Saudi PIF:

“There is a corporate difference between the two, there is.

“That is what we were investigating – whether the Saudi state could control the club through the investment fund.

“We have received assurances that is not the case.”

Asked about sportswashing and human rights concerns, Richard Masters replied:

“The [Newcastle United] takeover has gone through and we have to be comfortable that all the things we do at the Premier League will be preserved under the new ownership and the equality and diversity scheme will be preserved.

“You can’t have one rule for one and one for another and so Newcastle will be run on the right basis.

“PIF are an investor in many other companies in this country and maybe football is being targeted and talked about in a different way.

“I can’t choose who is chairing a football club.

“The owners test doesn’t let us take a view on that.”

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