UK: FOOTBALL/SOCCER: Stan Kroenke and Tom Hicks talk about their involvement with Premier League soccer teams Arsenal and Liverpool

As the NFL roadshow arrives in London, Stan Kroenke and Tom Hicks talk to reporters about their involvement with Premier League soccer teams Arsenal and Liverpool. Arsenal shareholder and US sports tycoon Stan Kroenke told reporters in London on Thursday (October 25) that he considered his investment in English Premier League side Arsenal to be a long term commitment. "I think that we showed we are long term investors, we do things for very specific reasons. We think they are good reasons, we think our involvement in Arsenal and Arsenal broadband is a very strategic thing, we like the team or we would not have got involved," he said. Kroenke who owns 12.2 per cent stake in Arsenal is also co-owner of the St. Louis Rams NFL franchise was joined by fellow NFL owners at a conference being held in London ahead of this Sunday's (October 28) game between the New York Giants and the Miami Dolphins at Wembley stadium. Arsenal's chairman Peter Hill-Wood remarked earlier this year that he would be "horrified" to see the club owned by an American. Kroenke told reporters that it was his involvement in Major League Soccer that led to his investment in a Premier League club. "This is a strategic investment for us. We are involved in sports in America in basketball the NBA, hockey the NHL and the NFL and major league soccer. Major league soccer and our investment there through Colorado led us as I described into Arsenal," Kroenke told reporters. Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks defended his club's manager Raphael Benitez following a disappointing 2-1 Champions League defeat in Istanbul at the hands of Besiktas on Wednesday (October 24) night. "Our fans want to win, they are like all clubs, certainly what Rafa has demonstrated is his ability to coach and manage tactics in the Champions League should be unquestioned, we had a disappointing loss but we were outplayed by the Turks," he said. Hicks, along with fellow U.S. sports tycoon George Gillett, bought Liverpool FC earlier this year for about $340 million. Arsenal meet Liverpool in the Premiership on Sunday (October 28) in what is arguably the most important game of the season for Liverpool, whose manager has come under recent criticism due to his policy of rotating players in his squad. Hicks told reporters that his club now had no choice but to win their remaining three Champions League Group games. "Well we have got to work that out, I think that obviously we have a big match Sunday with Arsenal and we are focused on that, but we have got to win the next three games," he said. One US sports magnate who has ruled himself out contention as a possible buyer of a Premiership club is Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. Jones told reporters that although he envied the likes of Hicks and Kroenke but that he had enough on his plate with his NFL franchise.

ITN Source | October 26, 2007

Tags:. .basketball. .ahead. .loss. .giants. .investment