West Ham United FC: owner of London Stadium ordered to pay back a minimum of £3.9m to the club

The British High Court of Justice has ruled in favour of West Ham United FC (Premier League) in its dispute with the public development company London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC), owner of London Stadium (ENG), where the English club plays, on 28/01/2025. E20, LLDC's subsidiary responsible for leasing the stadium, has been ordered to repay £3.9m (€4.6m) plus interest and certain legal costs incurred by West Ham in connection with the proceedings.

The two parties are in dispute over a £3.6m (€4.6m) payment made by West Ham to E20 following Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky's acquisition of a 27% stake in the club (for an estimated investment of between £100m and £200m/€117m to €234m) in November 2021. This transaction was carried out via three separate transactions: two involving the purchase of existing or newly created shares, and one involving an option to purchase additional shares.

However, a clause in the concession lease for London Stadium, signed between WH Holdings (owner of West Ham) and the E20 subsidiary in 2013, stipulates that the latter will receive a share…