Andy Coleman: 'The buck stops with me', says new Swansea City chairman

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Media caption,

New Swansea City chairman says funds will be available for investment in the club

Andy Coleman says he will be Swansea City's "leader on the ground" and will have the final say on key decisions at the Championship club.

The American businessman was named chairman in May having bought a significant stake in the Welsh side.

He says the decision-making process at Swansea - criticised by former boss Russell Martin - has now changed.

"I am the chairman and operating partner and the buck stops with me," Coleman said.

"We need one voice here as the face of ownership. That's why I invested so much into this football club, so that I could have that voice, and I can't wait to see what we do."

This has been a summer of significant change at Swansea.com stadium.

Coleman will move his family to Wales next month having joined the list of major shareholders at the club, while Nigel Morris has acquired a 19.43% stake in the club.

US-based Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan, who took control of the then Premier League club in 2016, remain majority shareholders while American businessman, Jake Silverstein, joined the board in 2020.

But Coleman says all involved are united in the belief that he should run Swansea.

"All of my fellow partners follow my vision, which is the best way for this organisation - any organisation - to be run, with a leader on the ground who has control," he said.

"That's what we needed here, boots on the ground so that [head coach] Michael [Duff] and [sporting director] Paul [Watson] and everyone else inside this organisation have the best chance of success."

Duff has replaced Martin, who left for Southampton last month after two years as Swansea's head coach.

In February, Martin said Swansea needed to change their transfer operation after a desperate January window in which they failed to sign a player.

Martin felt that while staff in Wales had lined up numerous potential deals, they all came to nothing because they were blocked by the club's owners.

When asked about that criticism, Coleman told BBC Sport Wales: "If I was a supporter of this football club, I would be confused [by January] and I would hope for different results as well.

"That's why I am here now. You can expect those decisions to be made by me while I am here as chairman."

Coleman says there is money available to Duff as he looks to bolster a squad which was already thin before summer departures of Ryan Manning and Joel Latbeaudiere, plus loan signings Luke Cundle and Matty Sorinola.

He expects new faces to arrive soon, with forward Josh Ginnelly set to be the first signing of Duff's reign.

Swansea's owners have been continually criticised for a perceived lack of ambition since taking charge.

The club were relegated in 2018 and there have been suggestions on more than one occasion since then that opportunities to push for a return to the Premier League were not seized.

Image source, Swansea City AFC/Athena
Image caption,

New Swansea chairman Andy Coleman is also a part-owner of MLS side DC United

"It's a complicated business. It's a tough league," Coleman said.

"I can tell you nobody involved with his organisation historically or moving forward wants to see anything but Swansea succeeding.

"All of those partners of mine have come in with expectations. Nobody wants to see Swansea stay where they are."

Coleman declined to comment on Swansea's ongoing dispute with Southampton over compensation due for Martin following his move to St Mary's.

Ex-Scotland defender Martin had been due to hold talks over his Swans future at the end of last season, only for a proposed trip to the US to be cancelled.

Asked whether a new deal for Martin had ever looked likely, Coleman said: "Russell was a contracted employee at the time that I came. He has chosen to move on and we wish Russell nothing but the best. We look forward to seeing him on Boxing Day."

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