Vincent Tan is at it again, this time he calls British media a ‘little racist’
Lee Shi-Ian, TMI
Malaysian tycoon Tan Sri Vincent Tan (pic) is in the spotlight yet again, this time for accusing British media of being a “little racist.”
The Cardiff City owner told BBC Sport that the British media had been unfair in their portrayal of him, making him look like a “Bond villain” as he often wore dark glasses and gloves when watching home games.
“I wear sunglasses because of the glare of the spotlights,” he said. “I wear gloves because it is very cold in the UK. Frankly, sometimes I think they are nuts making all these comments.
“The British press is unfair… maybe because we didn’t tell our side of the story that well. When the time is right, I will tell my story. Sometimes, the British press is maybe a little bit racist.”
He told this to BBC Sport at an event in Kuala Lumpur last week to honour his business and charity work, and celebrate his birthday.
He said the minority of Cardiff fans who were vocal in their criticism should apologise to him, as he believed that 90% of the fans were firmly behind him.
“One day we are a hero. Another day we are zero,” Tan said, adding that Cardiff City would have gone bust without him.
“Because of my investment, the club got promoted into the Barclays Premier League,” he said,
Having initially taken a 35% share in the club, Tan now owns about 90% and had paid off all creditors.
According to The BBC, Cardiff City’s only outstanding debt was about £70 million to £80 million (RM386 million to RM441 million) owed to Tan.
Tan said that he would never change the colour of Cardiff’s kit from red to blue, unless another owner came along and bought him out.
As part of a rebranding exercise last year, Tan changed the club’s home kit from blue to red, with a dragon crest.
The change angered Cardiff fans, who expressed their dismay that a century’s worth of tradition was being altered.
Tan said that British football clubs were “blessed” to have foreign owners.
“I will not walk away if Cardiff are relegated from the Barclays Premier League, unless the fans really piss me off so much,” Tan told BBC Sport.
He also pledged to donate £1 million to local charities if the club stayed in the Premier League this season.
Cardiff are second from bottom of the Barclays Premier League, and three points from safety, with a likely chance of being relegated by the end of the season.
On the sacking of manager Malky Mackay, Tan said he was lucky to have landed the job in the first place.
