Clubs like Manchester City are really bad news

He was one of the original foreign investors in an English football team, paying £30million for Fulham 13 years ago. That bill is now £280m and rising.

“Madness,” he said. He spells out the figures. “Up to now. Two Hundred. Eighty. Million.”

After a night like Thursday, when Fulham’s staggering win against Juventus meant that Craven Cottage went global, it may seem like money well spent. But what money it is.

“I paid £30m. I invested another £50m rebuilding the club. And then administration, management, hiring people, players with top salaries,” he said. “It’s madness.

“Will I ever leave Fulham? Why, do you want me to leave Fulham? If someone crazy like me came along and paid the maximum price?

“I won’t, no. I am tied up with the people at Fulham, you get affected by it, it’s part of your life. It’s not easy, but I still enjoy it and this is the best time I have ever had. Exciting for me? Yes.”

Fulham’s name has gone across Europe this season in the Europa League, they are safe and well regarded in the Premier League, and there is still the promise of an FA Cup semi-final when they replay with Tottenham on Wednesday.

Tomorrow Al Fayed meets the new version of football in England – Manchester City are at Craven Cottage.

He does not like what he sees and he is fearful for the future of our top teams unless there are radical changes. Manchester City, he said, are at the head of the crisis and the Premier League does not handle the billions of pounds in the English game well enough. The opinions rattle off and he spares no one.

“The management of football worldwide is not really run by people who understand the game and its value. It is the most popular sports game on earth,” said Al Fayed.

He demands a bigger slice of the money from TV broadcasters and said the Premier League is not up to the job of getting more for the clubs.

“People have no business experience or life experience. You put them in command, it’s crazy,” he said. “Clubs will close down because the financial demands are horrific.

“Those clubs are not supported by people who look after the game. The Premier League, for example. Or FIFA. They have to understand that this game is a goldmine.

“We produce that. Or it is like we produce a movie. We deliver it to the Premier League. Fine. They have to understand that in China, the Far East, if you want to watch a game you pay £10.

“There are hundreds of millions who watch the games for £10 each time. You can make from one game £2 billion. I say this in the chairmanship meetings, ‘Wake up. You are in a coma’. We leave the Premier League to screw us, they don’t know really how to make money out of the games. Why the hell do you give every club £40m, £30m, what’s this going to do?

“The only way is to be in partnership 50-50 with these TV companies.

“You want to sell the game? See how much money they are going to make with their broadcasting, companies like Sky, BBC, ITV, and you divide that 50-50.

“If ITV make £100m, then they get £50m. This is the way the business should be run.

“All the clubs, they need to have a bigger say in how we get our revenue from television, from the joy and the happiness it brings to hundreds of millions.

“If they are happy to have someone in charge of the goldmine who is not up to it, ok.

“The Premier League has to look after the clubs and be sure that they listen to us. They take the money now and they sub-divide it between the clubs and it means the most successful get the most.

“And it is always the same clubs who get most. I am just trying to get my message to help other clubs. I keep talking, but no one is listening. I answer the questions here. All the chairmen need waking up.”

Manchester City are owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family with an overflow of money that has deluged English football.

City are Al Fayed’s guests. He will be hospitable. But also highly critical.

City have spent more than £200m buying players and their wage bill is more than £100m a year. All in 18 months of the Sheikh’s ownership.

“Fulham will always be safe while I am here,” added Al Fayed. “There will not be a Portsmouth here.

“It is a very hard job because the salaries are huge. If you want to buy a player it is £20m or £30m. And the players they ask for £150,000, £200,000 a week. This is what’s happening.