Former West Ham hero Tomas Repka and the club’s new majority owner Daniel Kretinsky certainly aren’t Czech mates as the hardman defender reveals the reason behind a feud between the pair.
Some West Ham fans see Daniel Kretinsky as their knight in shining armour, riding in on his white horse to rescue the club in their hour of need.
Other Hammers supporters, who carry the scars of a lifetime of broken and empty promises, are more wary.
Kretinsky has talked a good game since becoming West Ham’s majority owner following the resignation of David Sullivan.
Former West Ham hero Repka makes shocking Kretinsky admission
By purchasing an additional 16 per cent of the club at £5.6m per share, Kretinsky has put his money where his mouth is, injecting the £90m that was needed by the end of June to avoid sanctions.
Some supporters are not convinced Kretinsky has the appetite for full ownership of the Hammers.
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Not least because he made that clear in a TV interview two years ago.
And because he could have bought more of the Gold family’s 25 per cent stake if that was his goal.
Kretinsky also majority owns his boyhood club Sparta Prague. Some West Ham fans point to the fact many Sparta supporters do not like how Kretinsky has run their club.
Sullivan and former vice-chair Karren Brady were often criticised by supporters for a lack of class in how they dealt with all manner of West Ham matters, including players.
Now former West Ham hero Tomas Repka has explained why he dislikes Kretinsky with a shocking admission.
Repka missed penalty to get revenge on West Ham’s new majority owner Kretinsky
No nonsense hard man Repka was a huge fan favourite at West Ham.
So supporters may be interested to know the reason behind a personal feud between Repka and the club’s new majority owner Kretinsky.
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Repka has revealed he deliberately missed a penalty when playing for Ceske Budejovice vs Slovak Liberec to stop Kretinsky and Sparta Prague winning the league.
“At that precise moment, I was not thinking straight,” Repka admitted in his autobiography.
“I hurt the team as a whole, but I was fuelled by human vanity and I wanted to settle a score with Mr Kretinsky.
“He didn’t behave fairly to me when I was leaving Sparta, so I promised him I’d get him back.”
Czech journalist Michael Durcak has told The Athletic there has been unrest from Sparta fans towards Kretinsky over the years, even if he does run the club in a very professional manner.
“Over the years, there have been chants from fans for Kretinsky to sell the club, but there is no chance that will happen,” Durcak said.
“The fanbase is hugely demanding and if you don’t win the title, it is considered an unsuccessful season, especially when you finish second to Slavia Prague.”
A Sparta fan told the same publication that many of the Czech club’s supporters dislike the way Kretinsky rarely communicates with them, describing him as an ‘invisible figure’.
West Ham fans won’t mind Kretinsky doing things quietly and efficiently as long as he makes good on his promises.
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