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West Ham director and major shareholder Daniel Kretinsky is becoming an increasingly influential figure around the club and was the man supposedly at the centre of backing manager Nuno Espirito Santo.
After lengthy talks this week, Nuno is set to lead West Ham into the Championship next season.
West Ham’s board were split over whether they should part company with Nuno, but Kretinsky’s influence reportedly convinced them to stick with the Portuguese coach.
Kretinsky has quietly increased his stake in West Ham over the last year and is expected set to do so again as rumours circulate around the future of chairman David Sullivan, who is currently the largest single shareholder at the east London club.
But who is Kretinsky, and why does he seemingly want more control over a club that will be playing Championship football for the first time in 14 years next season?
Who is West Ham's Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky?
The Czech billionaire, dubbed the “Czech Sphinx” due to his low-profile approach to business, made his fortune across a number of industries, from media to coal and gas. He also became the largest stakeholder in British supermarket chain Sainsbury’s in December 2025.
Formerly a lawyer, he first came to attention in the UK after buying a 27 per cent stake in West Ham in 2021, in a deal which includes an option to buy the club outright.
Kretinsky has also been the chairman of his boyhood club, 37-time Czech champions Sparta Prague, since 2004.
He became the first foreign owner of the British postal service, Royal Mail, in December 2024.
The 49-year-old is said to be “obsessed” with British culture, and his financial ties to the country suggest his involvement in West Ham is long-term.
Kretinsky rarely speaks publicly about West Ham, but in helping to convince the club to keep Nuno, it is clear his influence is growing ahead of a potential takeover bid.
The Irons are set for a difficult summer, with the club needing to raise funds following their relegation to the Championship.
After a 14-year stay in the Premier League, West Ham are expected to oversee wholesale changes to the way the club is run this summer.
Kretinsky has positioned himself at the centre of these plans and appears to have both the financial capital and influence to launch a full-scale takeover should Sullivan decide to step away after 16 years at the club.
