Stan Kroenke is standing on the verge of guiding his team to an historic sporting triumph later today.
Unfortunately for Arsenal fans, it’s Los Angeles Rams that are just one game away from sporting immortality, as they take on the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl 56.
It’s the second time in just three years that the Rams - under the guidance of offensive genius Sean McVay - have reached the pinnacle of the National Football League.
In 2019, Kroenke watched his team be stifled and nullified by the New England Patriots in a defensive performance that will go down in the ages.
Who will win Super Bowl 56, the Rams or the Bengals? Make your prediction here
But in their own stadium, the Rams can end a 38-year wait for NFL glory in Los Angeles and go into the game as strong favourites.
But not unlike his standing in North London, Kroenke remains a divisive figure across the United States, with his ruthless path to success rubbing some up the wrong way.
So ahead of the biggest game in the NFL, Mirror Football has taken a look at the 74 year old billionaire’s journey with the Rams - which could culminate overnight at SoFi Stadium.
Relocation and facing the wrath of St. Louis
The last time an LA side won NFL’s top prize was when the Raiders beat Washington 38-9 in Tampa, Florida.
11 years later, in the same year that the Raiders uprooted to Oakland, Kroenke bought a stake in the Rams, who had also relocated - this time from California to St Louis.
In 2010, Kroenke became full owner of the franchise and promised to St. Louis patrons that he would “attempt to do everything that I can to keep the Rams in St. Louis”.
In the years that followed, there were broken promises and finger pointing both from Kroenke and local authorities over plans to build an all-purpose stadium in Missouri.
Taxpayers agreed to help finance an £800m stadium to keep the team in the city, but in January 2016, it was confirmed they would return to the City of Angels.
Kroenke said: “This decision is about what is in the best long-term interests of the Rams organisation and the National Football League.
“We have negotiated in good faith with the Regional Sports Authority for more than a decade trying to find a viable and sustainable solution.
“When it became apparent that we might not be able to reach an agreement, it was then and only then that we looked at alternatives.”
NFL bosses were quick to sign off on plans, desperate to finally put a footprint in one of the country’s biggest markets.
At the time, St. Louis mayor Francis Slay accused the NFL of “ignoring facts and ignoring the loyalty of fans”.
Gunners fans can regularly be heard chanting: “We want our Arsenal back.” But for the entire city of St. Louis, they were literally left without a team.
Authorities filed a 52-page lawsuit following the relocation in 2017 and it was only at the end of last year, when Kroenke and the Rams were forced to settle to the tune of $790million.
There was a feeling that the small guy took on the man and won. But there are still immeasurable levels of resentment to the individual who many feel grabbed his ball and took it across the country.
Rows with the NFL
The NFL may have helped sanction the cross-country move, but the five-year row with the city of St. Louis has led to widespread friction between the league and the team that could top it come Monday morning.
In the final days before settling, the Sports Business Journal obtained emails from Kroenke’s representatives, suggesting they had not had the kind of assurances that they would be duly supported, should the case reach what was scheduled to be a trial in January 2022.
"If we continue to not get any assurances from the league regarding allocation (of damages), we will have no choice but to try to resolve the case on behalf of only the Rams and Mr. Kroenke,” the email reads, according to SBJ.
"We do not want to do that. We want everyone’s participation -- or some assurance from the league that a settlement will be allocated fairly. But we have not gotten that assurance to date, nor any suggestion that the league will try to settle the case and address allocation later.”
NFL owners are a breed which often stick together and for Kroenke to go it alone was seen as a major intervention for which many of his peers may not have universally appreciated.
The stadium move…and the loans which followed
An expensive stadium switch spiralling well over the estimated budget prior to construction. Sound familiar?
For Arsenal and the Emirates Stadium, change the LA Rams and the stunning SoFi Stadium which will play host to tonight’s title game.
The final bill for the 70,000 seater stadium was estimated at more than $5bn before the Rams and city neighbours Chargers finally moved in at the start of the Covid affected 2020 season.
But Kroenke’s colleagues in boardrooms across the NFL had to agree to an additional $500m in May 2020 in order to get the project over the line, having already gone to the league, cap in hand, to request another $400m.
But while Arsenal’s wait to bring a Premier League title to their new stadium, Kroenke’s other venture could yet achieve that feat in just the second season after the move from the famous LA Memorial Coliseum.
Unconventional recruitment
Many of the gripes surrounding KSE’s ownership of Arsenal stems from a perceived lack of ambition in terms of building a team capable of winning the biggest prizes.
Since his arrival in the capital, Arsenal have failed to win a league title and have now spent five years outside of the Champions League.
In order to address their gap with the Premier League’s best, Mikel Arteta and Edu have implemented a transfer strategy which revolves around signing young players and allowing them to flourish.
That’s in direct contrast to the Rams, who have ripped up the rule book when it comes to NFL recruitment, going in the opposite direction to almost all of the 31 other teams.
The annual draft, which allows teams to pluck the best college players, is the central facet of every team in the NFL - other than the Rams.
Under general manager Les Snead, they haven’t used a single first-round pick on a college prospect, instead trading away assets in order to sign established stars.
Jalen Ramsey and quarterback Matthew Stafford were both acquired at the price of first-round picks, leaving them without one until 2024 at the earliest,
As well as premium picks, the Rams have parted with second and thirds to acquire players like Von Miller and Sony Michel, all of whom will play key roles in Sunday’s showdown.
“The model is working,” Snead claimed this week. He couldn’t be more right and it shows a marked difference to Kroenke’s outfit in the Premier League.
