Former Tottenham and Liverpool goalkeeper Brad Friedel has said that American ownership in the Premier League can have a positive impact on the game, with the increased profile in the US good for the growth of the league.
In the summer, Todd Boehly became chairman at Chelsea to become the latest American investor to join the ranks of Premier League owners. Now 10 out of the 20 Premier League clubs are owned by Americans, with Arsenal having been subject to the ownership of LA Rams owner Stan Kroenke since 2011.
There have been some criticisms of American owners in English football, with the Glazer family in particular unpopular with Manchester united fans since they took over in 2005. In addition, George Gillett and Tom Hicks were unpopular figures on Merseyside during their tenure as Liverpool owners before they sold the club to Red Sox owner John W. Henry in 2011 who has overseen a successful transformation of the club.
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Speaking to Fair Betting Sites, the USMNT legend said that on balance American ownership should be seen as a positive for English fans. He said: “I think the influx of money is good for the Premier League. I like the fact that it's American owners because it brings even more notoriety over to the US and we're still a growing league and a growing country in football.
“I hope the owners purchase the clubs with the knowledge of how important these clubs are to the fans and how much of a religion football is over there because it is different from American sports.
“If they don't know it is going on, they quickly realize that after the first month or so. I think the influx of capital from the American owners is a great thing for both the Premier League and for the United States.”
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