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Newcastle fans gathered outside St James’ Park to celebrate the acquisition
The fiancee of murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi said Saudi Arabia’s acquisition of England club Newcastle United was “heartbreaking” for her.
Khashoggi, a political critic in his country, was killed during a visit to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October 2018.
Western intelligence agencies believe Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered Khashoggi’s murder, which the prince denies.
“I am very disappointed,” said Jamal’s fiancee Hatice Cengiz, who was about to marry him before being killed.
“What I have been doing since his murder is seeking justice for Jamal every day and taking every opportunity I can find or wherever I can go,” she added.
And she added, “Suddenly, as I was looking at the news, I saw people talking about the acquisition agreement, and I said: Please don’t do that, please respect yourself. “
The Premier League on Thursday approved the buyout of Newcastle for £ 305million after receiving “legally binding assurances” that the Saudi state would not take control of the club.
The Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), headed by Mohammed bin Salman, will provide 80% of the value of the investment.
The fund is considered independent from the State.
The Saudi state has been accused of human rights violations. But with the majority of the PIF seen as a separate entity, this issue, or any other hacking issue, is no longer a barrier to takeover, from a Premier League perspective.
Newcastle fans only care about the club’s financial future
The Saudi Public Investment Fund has assets estimated at £ 250 billion, which makes Newcastle United one of the richest clubs in the world.
But Khadija said she wanted to remind fans that there are things more important than the club’s financial situation.
“It seems they (Newcastle fans) don’t care what happened to Jamal, they only care about the financial future,” she said in an interview with BBC Radio 5.
“I want to remind them that there is something more important than money, and that there is something more important than the financial situation of this club.”
published photo, Getty Images
Khadija Cengiz, the fiancée of Jamal Khashoggi
Khadija explained that “there are much dearer values that we have and still need in our lives.”
She stressed: “We have to send them the message that they cannot buy any English team and the reason is this crime. This is the clear message every Englishman should send.”
Jamal’s fiancee added: “We have to remind them what they did to Jamal, because no one was held responsible for his murder, so we have to punish them in other ways.”
And she added: “At least respect Jamal’s spirit, because he has paid a heavy price for free speech.”
Union leader “very concerned” by takeover
Sir Keir Starmer, leader of Britain’s largest opposition Labor Party, said he was “deeply concerned” about the Saudi Fund’s takeover of Newcastle, and stressed the need for an independent regulator to improve laws on governance of football.
He told the BBC: “Tory MP Tracey Crouch has reviewed the laws on football governance and we are helping them as well, but I am concerned about governance.”
“I think we need an independent regulator, which we have seen in a lot of clubs now over the past two years, we need an independent regulator and we need testing standards different for club managers. “
“I think the takeover should be proposed as an independent organization because there are serious concerns about the human rights record,” Starmer said.
“I am very concerned about this acquisition,” he added.
He concluded by saying: “It is not my job as the leader of the opposition to say and define who owns a football club, it is the job of an independent regulator, it is is the scheme we are proposing, we are contributing to the review of the football governance laws that Representative Crouch is working on. respect among all members of the House of Commons, and the sooner that review can be achieved, the better. .
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