Forest owner denies salary demand reports
Nottingham Forest owner and chairman Fawaz al-Hasawi has denied reports that he has made demands on any new owners of the club that he be paid an annual salary once he gives up his majority share.
One national newspaper said that Hasawi could earn up to £1m a year after he sells 80% of the club. He is also reported to have asked for a package that includes a share of any bonuses the players earn.
However, in a statement last night, Hasawi strongly denied the reports that first surfaced in The Guardian.
He said: ““I am aware of reports recently published in the Guardian newspaper regarding investment in the Club.
I can confirm that the information published was inaccurate and my solicitors have confirmed that there has been no communication between them and the newspaper.
The terms of any potential investment deal are, and will remain, confidential and the Club will not be making any comment in relation to this issue.
The matter has now been passed to my legal team, as such it would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.”
The same report says that Forest’s players have considered refusing to train because of being paid late on a frequent basis.
Hasawi wants to sell 80% of the City Ground club, but retain a 20% share and remain chairman.
In an open letter to Forest, the Nottingham Forest Supporters Trust, said: “Despite his public protestations to the contrary, it is clear that Mr al-Hasawi is now apparently acting solely in his own interests with no regard to those of the club he purports to care about.
“In light of this damning evidence… we believe that it would be in the club’s best interests that both his influence an financial stake in the club are completely assumed by a new regime.”
Last week we reported that Hasawi is close to agreeing a £50m sale to an American consortium led by John Jay Moores, the former owner of Major League Baseball franchise San Diego Padres.
