'My head is telling me what to do because my heart still hurts' says Pete Winkelman in an exclusive interview with MKFM.
Pete Winkelman speaks exclusively to MKFM following the sale of football club, MK Dons and the wider Stadium Group to a Kuwait-based consortium led by by Fahad Al Ghanim.
Pete told MKFM, "I hope it's a historic day after 20 years with the football club, amazing stadium, and all the amazing people I have been able to work with. It's a horrendous day in that sense but I've done it for a reason. I've done it because I want the football club to get to where I've always dreamed it could be. I'm probably not the man that is going to get it there, I've had to find people that are."
Pete continued, "I'm really excited about the people that I have decided to go with; Fahad and his partners from Q8. There is 460 people here [Stadium MK], so we hire a lot of people. What I look for is determination, passion about what they do, and ambition they have for themselves and Fahad has all that for us and our city. He actually has a house in Milton Keynes and the family visit there every summer so he's watched this go on and when he set his heart on a football club in England, there was only one; it was us."
When asked what his message to the supporters of MK Dons would be, Pete said, "Hang on in there all our supporters, the best is still yet to come."
He continued, "I'm looking forward to the season, I know we've got a great team together. I'm still around for all my people because that's the kind of person I am. I want to see this club achieve what I tried to do but wasn't able to do, but I've been big enough to realise that and I hope people can see that."
"My head is telling me what to because my heart still hurts", Pete concluded.
The deal, which leaves the club and stadium group debt-free, has now been ratified by all parties following clearance from the EFL.
Winkelman’s decision has not been taken lightly and is led by a desire to see MK Dons compete at the very highest level of English football, while also ensuring both the football and stadium assets remain together
Fahad Al Ghanim is an entrepreneurial businessman leading a Kuwait-based consortium. Fahad has worked across many sectors, including banking, investment, automotive and real estate and his family are the owners of Kuwait SC, one of the most successful football clubs in the Middle East.
Fahad first attended a game at Stadium MK over a year ago and has since demonstrated a relentless determination to identify how he could help improve the club, as well as the capabilities to invest significantly in MK Dons and the City of Milton Keynes as a whole.
The consortium has the opportunity to reignite a significant sporting dream for Milton Keynes, offering great hope and optimism for what the club can achieve in the future.
In the short term, the new ownership group are keen to allow Pete Winkelman the moment he deserves to reflect on his legacy and say goodbye as Chairman to all MK Dons supporters this weekend.
