Sunderland have issued a terse statement hitting back at what it describes as a series of 'sensationalist' stories about the club's ownership, which it says have caused 'severe and unwarranted unrest' amongst fans.
The club has been forced into action after stories by Daily Mail and The Times on Friday claimed that there was a £20.5m 'hole' in the club's accounts - caused by the writing-off of that sum as an 'exceptional operating expense - which was putting off prospective buyers.
Over the weekend the holding company Madrox, which owns Sunderland, answered a series of written questions submitted by the Sunderland Echo.
And the statement released by the club tonight issued a summary of that article by providing one-word answers to four key points.
It said: 'Q. Is Sunderland debt free? A. Yes.
'Q. Will all parachute monies utilised by Madrox be returned to SAFC? A. Yes.
'Q. Does this process impact the sale of the club in any way? A. No.
'Q. Are Madrox continuing to invest in the club? A. Yes.'
The statement continued: 'SAFC has also been in dialogue with supporter groups to ensure any and all outstanding concerns are clarified.'
And the club has attempted to draw a line under the issue by concluding: 'Following extensive and repeated comment on the aforementioned topics over the past 18 months, no further comment will be made.'
But this statement is unlikely to prevent further questions being asked about the ownership structure at the club, particularly with Sunderland's 2018-19 accounts yet to be filed at Companies House.
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