Last updated: 25th October 2007
Kroenke: Rare interview
American billionaire Stan Kroenke has failed to rule out owning Arsenal in the future.
The North London club recently secured a five-year lock-down agreement, ensuring that directors will only sell their stake to 'permitted persons' before April 2009 and have to give fellow board members 'first option' until October 2012.
Speculation has been rife this season that either Kroenke or Russian Alisher Usmanov could head a takeover, especially when coupled with David Dein's departure at the close of last term.
However, the lock-down agreement appears to have eased talk of foreign involvement.
Kroenke - who holds around a 12 per cent stake - has revealed that he sees the club as a long-term investment and refused to completely rule out a potential takeover.
"I have known about Arsenal previously. We got involved in Major League Soccer in Colorado," he said on Sky Sports News.
"Our executives started developing a relationship which we felt we needed with European football.
"Through that process we got to know Arsenal in a different way, and so that is how we became as familiar as we are and eventually made the investment.
"It is a partnership at this point. Everybody has a tendency to speed up the process. These things take a lot of time and effort, and many years to develop.
"We tend to look in the long-term; I think if you're an investor and don't look in the long-term you are not a good investor.
"There are lots of owners in Arsenal so we would have to see how that (a takeover) would work."
When quizzed about his thoughts on the lock-down agreement, Kroenke backed the movement and explained that he would be open to discussing a possible move to join up.
"I support it. We'll see, they would have to invite me," he added.
"This is a strategic investment for us, we are long-term investors. We like the team, otherwise we would not have got involved."
| Time | Fixture |
|---|---|
| Saturday 18th July | |
| Friendly Match | |
| 15:00 | Barnet vs Arsenal |
| Monday 20th July | |
| Friendly Match | |
| 19:30 | Lincoln City vs Arsenal |
| Wednesday 29th July | |
| Friendly Match | |
| 19:45 | Hannover 96 vs Arsenal |
| Saturday 1st August | |
| Friendly Match | |
| 16:15 | Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid |
| Sunday 2nd August | |
| Friendly Match | |
| 16:15 | Arsenal vs Rangers |
| Saturday 15th August | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Everton vs Arsenal |
| Saturday 22nd August | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Arsenal vs Portsmouth |
| Saturday 29th August | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Man Utd vs Arsenal |
| Saturday 12th September | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Man City vs Arsenal |
| Saturday 19th September | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Arsenal vs Wigan |
| Saturday 26th September | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Fulham vs Arsenal |
| Saturday 3rd October | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Arsenal vs Blackburn |
| Time | Result |
|---|---|
| Sunday 24th May | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Arsenal 4 - 1 Stoke | |
| Saturday 16th May | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Man Utd 0 - 0 Arsenal | |
| Sunday 10th May | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Arsenal 1 - 4 Chelsea | |
| Tuesday 5th May | |
| UEFA Champions League | |
| Arsenal 1 - 3 Man Utd | |
| Saturday 2nd May | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Portsmouth 0 - 3 Arsenal | |
| Wednesday 29th April | |
| UEFA Champions League | |
| Man Utd 1 - 0 Arsenal | |
| Sunday 26th April | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Arsenal 2 - 0 Middlesbrough | |
| Tuesday 21st April | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Liverpool 4 - 4 Arsenal | |
| Saturday 18th April | |
| The FA Cup sponsored by E.ON | |
| Arsenal 1 - 2 Chelsea | |
| Wednesday 15th April | |
| UEFA Champions League | |
| Arsenal 3 - 0 Villarreal | |
| Saturday 11th April | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Wigan 1 - 4 Arsenal | |
| Tuesday 7th April | |
| UEFA Champions League | |
| Villarreal 1 - 1 Arsenal | |
| Saturday 4th April | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Arsenal 2 - 0 Man City | |
| Saturday 21st March | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Newcastle 1 - 3 Arsenal | |
| Tuesday 17th March | |
| The FA Cup sponsored by E.ON | |
| Arsenal 2 - 1 Hull | |
| Saturday 14th March | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Arsenal 4 - 0 Blackburn | |
| Wednesday 11th March | |
| UEFA Champions League | |
| Roma 1 - 0 Arsenal | |
| Sunday 8th March | |
| The FA Cup sponsored by E.ON | |
| Arsenal 3 - 0 Burnley | |
| Tuesday 3rd March | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| West Brom 1 - 3 Arsenal | |
| Saturday 28th February | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Arsenal 0 - 0 Fulham | |
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Aston Villa | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Birmingham City | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Blackburn Rovers | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Bolton Wanderers | 0 | 0 |
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