Buying Premier League success is easy, says Sulaiman Al Fahim - the man who bought and sold Portsmouth within months
Sulaiman Al Fahim believes it is easy to buy success in the Barclays Premier League - despite his chaotic spell as Portsmouth owner.
The Arab admits he couldn't back up his love for sport with the millions needed to bankroll a top flight club, but he still says he dreams of buying Barcelona or Real Madrid.
Al Fahim agreed to buy Portsmouth in May but had to sell up earlier this month after failing to raise funds to keep them running.
Simple: Frederic Piquionne nets a tap-in for Portsmouth against Stoke (above) but the club haven't found life easy since Sulaiman Al Fahim (below) became involved
The scale of the problem emerged was starkly presented when Sportsmail revealed players had not been paid. 'I am a businessman who likes sport,' he told Spanish newspaper AS. 'I know some people see me as a big spender, but it's not true. I can't make millions appear from nothing. I have to work, like everyone else.'
Al Fahim believes the Premier League's spread of dominance among the modern Big Four makes it more attractive to foreign investors than the Spanish league.
'One reason investors don't go to Spain is purely competitive: in England you can buy a club and make it compete for titles in a reasonable period of time,' he said. 'There is less chance in Spain where you have Real Madrid and Barcelona.
'There's also the business side. The Premier League is more attractive across the world when it comes to TV rights. The distribution is equal (for the clubs), whereas in Spain, the top two negotiate seperately. Because of this, it is more suitable to buy a club like Manchester City or Portsmouth than clubs in La Liga.
'Of course, you, I or any investor would be interested in buying Madrid or Barcelona, but it's not possible.'
Madrid president Florentino Perez is considering switching matches to earlier kick-off times to attract the Asian market, where potential viewers are usually tucked up in bed when big Spanish matches are kicking off late in the evening.
Al Fahim backs the idea, explaining: 'I love and knew the Premier League as a child, as their games are scheduled in the afternoon. It's easier to see a good game from the Premier League rather than Barca-Madrid.'
The 32-year-old is a self-confessed sport addict who also loves chess and has invested in women's volleyball and horse racing. He was part of the Abu Dhabi takeover of Manchester City last year but was sidelined soon after the deal went through.
'It was not difficult to get involved with Portsmouth because I love football,' he said. 'Now 10 per cent of the club is mine, the rest is owned by my friend Ali Al Faraj.
'We're starting to see how we can help the club, but nothing happens overnight. It is important to invest in the (youth) academy and only go out and sign stars.
'We must have our own core of players. It's also necessary to have a great stadium.'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... z0VLELm8Pf
Oh dear
