Rybolovlev hopes to reach agreement on purchasing Monaco Football Club by year-end
MOSCOW. Dec 15 (Interfax) - The representative structure connected with Dmitry Rybolovlev initiated talks at the end of November on acquiring a majority stake in the Monaco Football Club's shares, one of Rybolovlev's representatives told Interfax.
"At the moment, the negotiating process continues. We hope that all agreements will be reached by the end of 2011, allowing the club to take advantage of the transfer 'window' in January 2012 to possibly get new players. This could strengthen the club's position during the remaining games of the 2011-2012 season," the representative said.
"We are grateful to the club's fans for their enthusiasm and the emotional support that they have expressed for Rybolovlev's possible arrival at the Monaco Football Club," he said.
In November, Prince Albert of Monaco mentioned the possible investment from the Russian businessman in an interview with the newspaper Nice Matin. The issue will be discussed with club management in the near future, he said.
The Monaco Football Club dropped to second division in France at the end of last season, where it now sits in last place after losing a large group of players in the summer.
Rybolovlev's investment is expected to be accompanied by the announcement of Prince Albert's friend Jean-Marc Goiran, who helped sign South Korean Chu Young Park in 2008 (Park moved to Arsenal this summer), as president of the club. One of the new president's advisors will be 1998 World Champion Youri Djorkaeff.
Mineral fertilizer and production company Fedcominvest has for many years sponsored Monaco. The company was established in the nineties by Alexei Fedorichev, a previous Moscow Dynamo boss.
Rybolovlev was ranked number 79 in the Forbes Rich List 2010. Forbes put him in at number 14 out of the top 200 wealthiest businessmen in Russia this year with $9.5 billion. Rybolovlev is also well known for buying a Palm Beach mansion from Donald Trump in 2008 for $100 million.
Rybolovlev sold his controlling stake in Uralkali in June 2010 to Suleiman Kerimov, Filaret Galchev and Alexander Nesis for $5.3 billion.