Charlton Athletic: Boardroom row putting club in limbo says director

The boardroom row at The Valley spilled out just before the Championship was halted in March

Charlton ’s future can only be resolved once a boardroom row has been settled, director Marian Mihail has warned.

East Street Investments took over the Championship club in January, but the sale is yet to be ratified by the EFL.

Majority shareholder Tahnoon Nimer removed Matt Southall as executive chairman last month after the pair fell out over proposed investment.

“Either they get on the same page or one of them backs down,” Mihail told the club website.

“Unfortunately, the EFL cannot weigh in on this.”

The English Football League has launched an investigation into possible misconduct during ESI’s takeover of the south-east London club from previous owner Roland Duchatelet in January, with the Charlton Athletic Supporters’ Trust (CAST) claiming the “very existence" of the club is "under threat".

ESI are yet to provide the EFL with proof of how the Addicks can be funded until June 2021, although Syrian businessman Nimer has previously said he would invest money into the club this month.

However, Mihail, who was appointed to the board on 20 March, says the method of Nimer’s investment remains in question while the row between him and Southall continues.

Former football agent Southall is still a minority shareholder of ESI, and is on the company’s board of directors.

“Tahnoon Nimer said he will not invest until Mr Southall is out of the picture. This has not happened yet,” Bucharest-based Mihail added.

“Tahnoon is aware that some funds need to come into the club and had hoped Mr Southall would take a step back by now.

“Now, with the pending EFL investigation, these funds are likely to be just a loan, but this is entirely up to Tahnoon and his associates.”

Meanwhile, the club’s first-team players and senior football management have taken “substantial pay deferrals” during the coronavirus pandemic.