Saracens owner Dominic Silvester says he has "full confidence" in chief executive Ed Coetzee and has dismissed a newspaper article suggesting there was "executive-level chaos" at the club. In an open letter published on Saracens' website, Silvester responded to an article in The Times that claimed the 2022 takeover, in which Silvester assumed control from former owner Nigel Wray, had triggered a period of instability. The Times pointed to Coetzee being the club's third chief executive in two years and alleged a high turnover of staff, adding that sponsors may be reluctant to engage in relationship-building amid such churn.
Silvester rejected these suggestions and highlighted Coetzee's achievements since his appointment in July. He cited bringing the all-female athletics meeting Athlos and the Gaelic football fixture between Mayo and Kerry to the Stone X Stadium, as well as securing new commercial and hospitality partnerships. He also pointed to a strengthened executive team, with Jason Thomas as chief financial officer and Rob Cook as chief operating officer.
"Together, Ed, Jason and Rob bring significant experience, complementary expertise and a clear commitment to building a financially sustainable business while maintaining Saracens' high-performance sporting ambitions," Silvester wrote. He said the board had confidence that the team had the experience, capability and determination to raise standards across the club and strengthen its financial sustainability.
Silvester concluded that the club is ambitious about its future while remaining realistic about the work required to achieve its goals, and is united in its commitment to taking Saracens forward.
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing