Boardroom Blues

MAJOR INVESTMENT IMMINENT

Friday 16 April 2004

Barring any last minute hitches, Italian football agent Gianni Paladini is poised to make a substantial investment in QPR. The club expects to confirm the deal in the next few days.

Paladini tried to take over Port Vale FC last year. The following piece appeared on the www.thesentinel.co.uk website on 24 December 2003:

"VALE DEAL ON

BY MICHAEL BAGGALEY

Port Vale's prospective new owner Gianni Paladini says he is confident his £530,000 takeover deal will go through to spark a revival of the troubled club.

The 57-year-old has promised supporters an influx of new players, which he says he will personally bankroll. He has also revealed he will run the club along with current vice-chairman Charles Machin.

The deal was in the hands of lawyers for Paladini and the club last night after his offer was given initial approval by Vale's seven-man board of directors.

Paladini says he will retire as a football agent and take a hands on role at Vale Park should the deal go through.

He has not put a figure on the investment he will bring to the club, but said: "My goal is to help the manager bring in good players. I don't want to be second best.

"Forget about Stoke City, I want us to be the first ones. I will be here all the time. You won't get rid of me very easily."

When asked why Port Vale appealed to him, the Solihull-based businessman said he was influenced by his 34-year-old son Stephen, who he says has followed the club since watching the Valiants lose the 1996 Anglo-Italian Cup final to Genoa.

He added: "Why did Roman Abramovich buy Chelsea? You don't have to be from Stoke. I have this feeling because of Stephen. He loves Port Vale and wherever he is he finds out about them.

"The opportunity came and we decided to do it. I saw several games with Stephen and I fell in love with the club. It has the potential to do well if run properly."

Paladini said he had players in mind for the club but said he could not provide names as he has yet to hold talks with manager Brian Horton. However, he added: "We will bring players in and hopefully we can go up. Some of the players that come here you won't believe."

As for under-fire Horton's long-term future at the club, he added: "If the manager is doing well with the team, why change him?"

When asked the future of the rest of the board, he said: "That has to be decided. I want everyone to participate and help. If they love Port Vale they have to help us make the club successful."

On his ambitions for the club, he said: "To go as far as we can. There is nothing to say Port Vale can't go into the First Division or the Premiership like a Wimbledon or Portsmouth." Paladini revealed he had seen the Valiants in action five times - and had even attended one game in disguise.

The Italian, who has acted as an agent for a string of stars including Juninho and Fabrizio Ravanelli, was linked with possible investment in Derby County last season.

However, he said: "There was the chance may be to get involved but I couldn't have Derby County and my son support Port Vale."

The businessman revealed he was a former Napoli player who was involved in the deals to take David Platt and Paul Rideout to Italian clubs.

He said when Sky pumped money into English football he then became involved in deals to move Italian players to England."

Listen to Gianni Paladini talking about his Port Vale bid at
www.bbc.co.uk/stoke/sport/portvale/2003/12/vale_takeover3.shtml

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