Outgoing Everton owner Farhad Moshiri admitted he wonders what would have been for the Toffees if Carlo Ancelotti had remained at Goodison Park.
The Freidkin Group completed its takeover of Everton on Thursday, ending Moshiri's eight-year reign.
It proved to be an eventful period on and off the pitch under the British-Iranian, with the club involved in Premier League relegation battles, points deductions, as well as financial uncertainty and a collapse at board level.
Moshiri also worked with eight permanent Toffees managers, including Ancelotti, between December 2019 and June 2021.
The Italian guided the club to a 10th-place finish in the Premier League during his only full season at Goodison Park, before returning to Real Madrid for a second time.
Moshiri looked back on his tenure with “mixed emotions” and suggested Everton could have continued had Ancelotti remained in charge.
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“I fully understand that in football results on the pitch are of the utmost importance and that, quite frankly, they have not been good enough in those same years,” Moshiri wrote in an open letter to supporters.
“We've brought top managers like Carlo Ancelotti to the club, and who knows where we would have been if he hadn't been lured back to his first love, Real Madrid?
“When I bought the club eight years ago, I knew that the club needed to be modernized, both with a new stadium and on the training field, in which a lot has been invested.
“I have absorbed the enormous cost of those improvements through my ownership, with season ticket prices remaining virtually the same throughout my ownership period.
“I have tried to minimize the impact on fans with our tickets being among the most affordable in the Premier League.”
Meanwhile, the Everton Fan Advisory Board (FAB) said following the takeover that the club can “look ahead with hope and optimism”.
“Our recent history has been clouded by relegation battles, financial uncertainty, failed ownership bids, a leadership vacuum and unjust sporting sanctions.
“[Thursday’s] The announcement offers Evertonians the opportunity to once again look ahead with hope and optimism.
“Providing clarity and communication about the road ahead will be essential. We recognize that change will not happen overnight.
“We look forward to hearing more about their plans in the coming weeks and months and working with them to help achieve their goals of embracing the passion, creativity and values of Evertonians.”
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