El nuevo Abramovich Romanov, millonario ruso, revoluciona Escocia tras comprar el Hearts

The new Abramovich
Romanov, Russian millionaire, revolutionize Scotland after buying the Hearts

Romanov, hijo de dos supervivientes a la batalla de Stalingrado, siempre se sintió intrigado por la historia. Investigó si era descendiente de los zares. Alteró una fotografía, que hoy cuelga en su despacho en las oficinas del Hearts, para aparecer junto a Lenin. Y se interesó por las razones que han llevado a que Escocia tenga una Liga tan débil, con sólo dos equipos competitivos. Conclusión: faltaba un equipo fuerte en Edimburgo. Hecho el análisis, Romanov, de 57 años, decidió cambiar el escenario. Viajó a Escocia, compró el 55% de las acciones del Hearts, anunció que lo sacaría de la Bolsa en cuanto controlara el 75% y que llegaría al 90% antes de fines de año. Colocó a su hijo Roman en el consejo directivo del club. Y, en la mejor tradición soviética, propuso un plan quinquenal: Liga escocesa en tres años. Asalto a Europa en cinco. En siete meses, ya hay resultados. Impulsado por Romanov, el Hearts se ha convertido en el equipo de moda. Hace un año acabó la Liga a 40 puntos de los equipos de Glasgow. Pero no siempre sus decisiones gustan. Los directivos George Foulkes y Phil Anderton han dado un portazo para marcharse de la entidad acusando a Romanov de "dictador".

"Creo que se puede alcanzar el éxito con trabajo duro y la honestidad", argumentó Romanov ante los accionistas del Hearts, complacidos porque Ukio, su banco, se haya hecho cargo de los 28,82 millones de deuda. Romanov ofrece trabajo. Honestidad. Pero sobre todo dinero, mucho dinero: ha fichado al lituano Jankauskas y a los checos Vendar y Liberec, además de a Camazzola, una joven promesa brasileña. También ha convencido a Hartley y Gordon, que tenían ofertas de los equipos de Glasgow, para que se queden. Y George Burley, su exitoso mánager, ha sido despedido porque no entendía que la extensa red privada de ojeadores de Romanov contase más que él a la hora de fichar.

"Durante quince años he sido patrocinador del Kaunas de Lituania", le contó el banquero al The Guardian. "Siempre he estado intrigado por la paradoja de que haya clubes que se gastan muchísimo dinero para no tener éxito. Todo el mundo está en el fútbol para hacer dinero y todo el mundo lo hace, excepto el dueño del club. Ése es el reto", continuó. "Cuando acumulas capital buscas invertir. Podía haberme comprado un castillo, aviones o una isla, pero yo quería un proyecto en el que pudiera invertir mi dinero adecuadamente. El objetivo último es la Copa de Europa", admitió. Pero hay más. El banquero quiere que Tynecastle, la casa del Hearts desde 1886, aumente su capacidad de 18.000 a 30.000 espectadores. Mucho más. El gran futuro del equipo, dice Romanov, obligará a construir un nuevo estadio para 60.000 personas en Edimburgo, que el Hearts compartiría con el Hibernians.

Romanov, dicen sus detractores, domina con mano de hierro la Liga lituana, donde hace y deshace a voluntad gracias a su dinero y a varios clubes nodriza a los que patrocina. Y ha llegado al Hearts para darse a conocer y atraer fondos de inversión británicos hacia Europa del Este. Es el nuevo Abramovich, avisan. Sus amigos, la falange lituana que le rodea en Escocia, le describen como un hombre trabajador y con estrella. Como una persona brillante con una personalidad magnética. Algo de cada cosa debe haber: los líderes de la Iglesia ortodoxa rusa y Viktor Yushenko, el liberal presidente de Ucrania, nunca hubieran hecho amistad con un simple marinero.

Surrounded by waters of the North Sea, sailing in a Russian nuclear submarine, Vladímir Romanov it could not think about the future, in surrounds that it was of Scotland, in which would change the world when the cold war finished. It only could think about the cold. In the hard times that were called on to him to live. Times in which the police harassed to him to sell discs in the back seat of its taxi, to distribute in Soviet Russia the wild and suggestive rates of Elvis, the king of the rock. Emigrated Russian to Lituania, Romanov survived. He did not think about the future. He could not imagine that a day would be banker and owner of a fortune considered in almost 300 million euros. That forty years later, in February of 2005, one would take control of the control of 55% of the actions of the Scottish Hearts by 36.76 million. That its capital, acquired in the turbulent later years to the fall of the USSR, would turn to the Hearts in coleader, next to the Celtic, of Scottish Liga, in the only club able to both break the hegemony of clubs of Glasgow.

Romanov, son of two survivors to the battle of Stalingrado, always felt intrigued by history. It investigated if he were descending of the czars. It altered a photography, that today hangs in its office in the offices of the Hearts, to appear next to Lenin. And one was interested in the reasons that have taken to that Scotland has so weak Liga, just by two competitive equipment. Conclusion: it lacked a strong equipment in Edimburgo. Made the analysis, Romanov, of 57 years, decided to change the scene. It traveled to Scotland, it bought 55% of the actions of the Hearts, announced that it would remove it from stock-market as soon as controlled 75% and that would arrive at 90% before year ends. It placed to his son Roman in the directive advice of the club. And, in the best Soviet tradition, it proposed a quinquennial plan: Scottish league in three years. Assault to Europe in five. In seven months, already there are results. Impelled by Romanov, the Hearts has become the fashionable equipment. A year ago Liga to 40 points of the equipment of Glasgow finished. But not always their decisions please. The directors George Foulkes and Phil Anderton have given portazo to leave the organization accusing to Romanov of "dictator".

"I believe that it is possible to be achieveed the success with hard work and the honesty", Romanov argued before the shareholders of the Hearts, pleased because Ukio, its bank, has become position of the 28.82 million debt. Romanov offers work. Honesty. But mainly money, much money: it has fichado to the lituano Jankauskas and the Czechs Vendar and Liberec, in addition to a Camazzola, a young Brazilian promise. Also it has convinced to Hartley and Gordon, that had supplies of the equipment of Glasgow, so that they remain. And George Burley, his successful one mánager, has been dismissed because he did not understand that the extensive deprived network of ojeadores of Romanov counted more than he at the time of filing.

"During fifteen years I have been patrocinador of the Kaunas de Lituania", told the banker him to the The Guardian. "been I have always intrigued by the paradox of which there are clubs that spend very many money not to be successful. Everybody is in soccer to make money and everybody does, except the owner of the club. That one is the challenge ", continued. "When you accumulate capital you look for to invest. He could to me have bought a castle, airplanes or an island, but I wanted I project in whom she could invest my money suitably. The last objective is the Glass of Europe ", admitted. But there is more. The banker wants that Tynecastle, the house of the Hearts from 1886, increases its capacity of 18,000 to 30,000 spectators. Much more. The great future of the equipment, says Romanov, will force to construct a new stage for 60,000 people in Edimburgo, that the Hearts would share with the Hibernians.

Romanov, says their detractors, dominates with iron hand lituana Liga, where it voluntarily makes and it undoes thanks to his money and several clubs airplane to which it sponsors. And it has arrived at the Hearts to occur to know and to attract British investment funds towards East Europe. It is the new Abramovich, warn. Their friends, the lituana phalange that surrounds to him in Scotland, describe to him as a working man and with star. Like a shining person with a magnetic personality. Something of each thing must have: the leaders of the Russian orthodox Church and Viktor Yushenko, the liberal president of the Ukraine, never had made friendship with a simple sailor.

EL PAÍS  -  Deportes - 04-11-2005