"Fradi president György Rieb and Sheffield United owner Kevin McCabe held an exclusive press conference last Tuesday attended by journalists of weekly paper 100% Fradi. The following interview gives McCabe’s point of view on the Fradi tender.McCabe: This is not the first time that we have wanted to consolidate a club with such a long history, as this is what we successfully did with Sheffield United. Rieb and I have signed a declaration of intent in which we state our goals for Ferencváros. We intend to rebuild FTC, so our aims have not changed.
Q: Everyone is curious why your company didn’t make a bid.
McCabe: The reason is very simple: our bidding material wouldn’t have been as prepared as it should have been. We have great experience in the football business and in the real estate business, but perfectly harmonizing the two is not an easy task; each step has to be perfectly planned. A separate team is currently working on this in order to complete the task as soon as possible. We have already invested lots of energy into this project and we would like the result to be Western European standard, both in terms of the football and the real estate.
Q: So although you’re very interested in Ferencváros, you did not turn in your bid. Aren’t you afraid that someone else will win the tender?
McCabe: This is a rhetorical question, as there were no other bidders.
Q: Are you planning on bidding in the next tender?
McCabe: If everything works out for a worthwhile project, then there is a good chance for a bid. I know that some people are suspicious about a successful outcome for this story, but all I can say to them is that we have the professional knowledge, the necessary financial background and we are still interested in Ferencváros and the related real estate investments. We have to present a project that satisfies the Fradi, the government and the fans alike.
Q: According to media speculation the stadium will be built elsewhere. Are you really considering this?
McCabe: No, the Fradi stadium will remain on Üllői út.
Q: When can professional cooperation begin between FTC and Sheffield United?
McCabe: My colleagues arrive in town on Sunday and they will start to size up the situation. Their job is to do a detailed analysis from the training of the new generation to the adult team. It is also possible that football players can arrive in Üllői út at the right time. Besides Sheffield we have good contacts with clubs in China, Belgium, Africa and the Caribbean, so we can present lots of good players.
Rieb: I’d like to mention that I sat down for a conversation with the UK people right after I was named president. They told me then that they can put together a strong bid by October. We also visited KVI (Treasury Assets Directorate) that day where we, among other topics, discussed whether the cost of the tender was too high or not. McCabe did not have objections to the costs, which I assume means that he thinks this is an acceptable amount of money.
McCabe also met Miklós Hagyó, deputy major of Budapest, and was told that if his intentions were serious about reviving one of the most significant players in Hungarian sport, then he would receive all the necessary support."
Source:
BBJ
27.09.2007