The Progress 1000: London's most influential people 2017 - Champions: Football

Dele Alli

Spurs Midfielder

The best young player available to England and one of the best in Europe, Alli — like Harry Kane — would draw bids in excess of £100 million if Tottenham decided to sell him. Alli signed a six-year contract in 2016 worth about £55,000 per week — wages which, in the current climate, do not give an accurate reflection of his value. Alli is a master at scoring goals from midfield and managed 18 in the League in the 2016/17 season. The only blemish is his fiery temper. Alli has a petulant streak and, because of it, he was suspended for Spurs’ opening three games in the Champions League.

Roman Abramovich

Chelsea Owner

The Russian multi-billionaire bought Chelsea football club in 2003 and his investment of over £1 billion has helped turn the west London club into the most successful in England over that period. No team have won more than their tally of 14 major trophies in as many years and his passion for the club shows no signs of dimming. Abramovich regularly attends games and is expected to provide more financial support for the redevelopment of Stamford Bridge into a new 60,000 stadium.

Leon Angel

Chairman, Base Soccer Agency

Base Soccer Agency in London has become more and more prominent in the game. Clients include Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey, Tottenham left-back Danny Rose and Hull’s new manager Leonid Slutsky. This summer, the company was responsible for negotiating Kyle Walker’s £50 million move from Spurs to Manchester City. Angel is a chartered accountant too and was one of the first football agents to be licensed by the Football Association.

Jonathan Barnett

Chairman, Stellar Group

There are agents in football and then there are “super agents” — Barnett’s influence as chairman of the renowned Stellar Group has put him among the latter. The agency represents around 500 clients across a number of sports and has 10 offices around the world. Barnett’s biggest star is arguably Gareth Bale, whom he helped join Real Madrid from Tottenham in 2013 for a then world-record fee of £86 million. Other names on his books include Manchester United defender Luke Shaw and England goalkeeper Joe Hart, who joined West Ham on loan in July.

Matthew Benham

Brentford Owner

Benham took control of Brentford in 2012 and has turned his boyhood club into one that thinks outside the box. Benham established Smartodds, a business based on using data to predict the outcome of sports events to customers including professional gamblers, and has been a pioneer in the use of analytics in football. Brentford have had three consecutive seasons in the Championship. His Danish club, FC Midtjylland, won their first league title in 2014/15 and beat Manchester United in the Europa League in 2015/16.

Slaven Bilic

West Ham Manager

Bilic is focused on making sure West Ham progress this season as he enters the final year of his contract. Last season he had to deal with the settling-in problems at the Olympic Stadium and the damaging exit of club talisman Dimitri Payet. However, his first campaign was a success as he took West Ham to seventh place and into the Europa League. With his long-term future unclear, it will be interesting to see how the season pans out.

Karren Brady

West Ham Vice-Chairman

Baroness Brady has built a reputation as one of English football’s most powerful women. A long-time ally of West Ham co-owner David Sullivan and a key advocate of women in business, she became West Ham’s vice chairman in 2010 and was the driving force behind the club’s move to the Olympic Stadium. West Ham endured a difficult first season in their new home but Brady is determined to steer the club on a continuing upward trajectory.

Bruce Buck

Chelsea Chairman

Buck is chairman of Chelsea and is often the public voice of the board at Stamford Bridge. His vast experience working as a lawyer — Buck is also the founding managing partner in Europe of US firm Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom — has made him a valuable asset. After taking the Chelsea post in 2003, Buck was instrumental in starting the Past Players’ Trust, an organisation that helps raise funds for former Chelsea footballers and staff who require medical or financial assistance.

Gary Cahill

Chelsea Defender

Since joining Chelsea from Bolton for £7 million in January 2012, Cahill has won every major trophy there is to win — the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, Champions League and Europa League. He has been named as the new permanent captain at Chelsea following John Terry’s departure to Aston Villa and is now the most experienced member of the Chelsea side. The centre-half is also a regular for the England national team and is one of the players manager Gareth Southgate gives the captain’s armband to.

Greg Clarke

FA Chairman

The Football Association wanted an experienced person to become chairman in 2016 so their move for Clarke wasn’t a big surprise. He was chairman of the Football League for the six years before that, having also worked in the same role for Leicester City. Clarke brought about reform this year, including an agreement to treble the number of female FA directors from one to three and trim the board to 10. However, Clarke was criticised for his appearance in front of MPs probing the way the FA dealt with complaints of racial remarks made by former England women’s coach Mark Sampson.

Antonio Conte

Chelsea Manager

The club’s fans breathed a huge sigh of relief when their head coach agreed a new two-year contract worth £9.5 million-a-year in July. Conte was rewarded for winning the Premier League title in his first season in charge with a record 30 wins out of 38 matches and is now the highest-paid manager in the club’s history. Conte has revolutionised Chelsea’s style of play by changing to a 3-4-3 system and has become renowned in English football for his passionate celebrations on the touchline.

Les Ferdinand

QPR Director of Football

The 50-year-old has been director of football at his beloved Queens Park Rangers for over two years and has the task of trying to restore their Premier League status on a strict budget. Moving into such a significant position in the boardroom demonstrates Ferdinand’s wealth of knowledge in a game that he graced as a player for more than 20 years. Despite ending his professional career over a decade ago, he is still the ninth-highest goalscorer in Premier League history, with 149 strikes to his name.

Ivan Gazidis

Arsenal Chief Executive

Gazidis has found himself having to defend the way Arsenal are run following a difficult period for the club. He has described himself as a “catalyst for change”. He intends to refresh an environment that may have become too comfortable as well as come up with an eventual succession plan for whenever the Arsene Wenger era ends. Despite criticism from sections of supporters, it cannot be doubted that Gazidis has ensured a sound financial future for Arsenal. He is also a board member of the European Club Association.

Martin Glenn

CEO, FA

Appointed FA chief executive officer in March 2015, Glenn regularly speaks out on a number of issues. He also has a big say on picking who the next England coach is and has so far been behind the appointment of both Sam Allardyce and Gareth Southgate. However, the FA’s mishandling of complaints from Eni Aluko regarding racial remarks by former England women’s coach Mark Sampson have left questions over Glenn’s future.

Marina Granovskaia

Chelsea Director

Can arguably claim to be the most powerful woman in English football due to her significant position as a Chelsea director. Granovskaia is in charge of securing transfer fees for players in and out of Chelsea, plus the staff’s contracts. Her strong negotiation skills have earned a lot of respect in the sport and played a key role in Chelsea’s business becoming self-financing rather than relying on owner Roman Abramovich. Granovskaia graduated from Moscow State University in 1997 and is fluent in a number of languages.

Neil Harris

Millwall Manager

The 40-year-old is among the most-talented young British managers in the Football League. Millwall had lost their sense of identity before Harris took over two years ago but he has rejuvenated the club and guided them back to the Championship last season. The Lions were promoted in the League One play-off final at Wembley and look to have a good future under Harris, a Millwall legend from his playing days and their all-time top goalscorer.

Joe Hart

West Ham Goalkeeper

Hart decided to join West Ham on loan in the summer to secure regular football to maintain his position as the England No.1 for next year’s World Cup in Russia. He spent most of last season on loan in Serie A with Torino after being told by Pep Guardiola he was no longer the first choice at Manchester City, and his signing was a show of West Ham’s ambition. Hart remains one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League.

Emma Hayes

Chelsea Ladies Manager

Hayes was appointed manager of Chelsea Ladies in 2012 and the club has taken huge steps since she took over. They won the Women’s Super League and the Women’s FA Cup double in 2015 and were WSL 1 champions in the 2017 Spring Series. Hayes was awarded an MBE for services to football last year.

Eden Hazard

Chelsea Midfielder

The Belgium international is one of the best players in the Premier League and has been key to Chelsea’s title victories in 2014/15 and 2016/17. Chelsea bought Hazard from Lille for £32 million in 2012 and he is now the second-longest-serving member of the first team. In June, Hazard became a part owner of North American Soccer League franchise team San Diego, but spends most of his spare time with his wife Natacha and their three sons.

Roy Hodgson

Crystal Palace Manager

The former England boss, who has also managed Switzerland, Inter Milan, Fulham, Liverpool and West Brom among others, has been brought in to stop the rot after Palace became the first team in Premier League history to lose all four of their opening games without scoring. It will take time — Palace finally picked up some points with a shock win over champions Chelsea in their eighth game — but he showed at Fulham how he can revive a team.

Slavisa Jokanovic

Fulham Manager

Jokanovic has done an impressive job at Fulham since being appointed in December 2015 and has turned them into a side that just missed out on promotion to the Premier League last season. They lost in the play-offs but the Serb, who has never managed in the top flight, is targeting another promotion bid this season. His good work has not gone unnoticed by Premier League clubs and Crystal Palace showed interest in him in the summer.

Harry Kane

Spurs Striker

The ultimate football fairytale. Kane has progressed from the Tottenham youth ranks to become one of the best forwards in the world, worth more than £100million. The 24-year-old works ferociously hard in training, is polite and approachable off the pitch — and mightily effective on it. Kane has been the top scorer in the Premier League in each of the past two seasons and recently passed 100 goals for the club in all competitions. His affinity with the local area means he is loved even more by the fans, who sing proudly that he is “one of our own”. Kane scored 13 goals in September and captained England, and scored the only goal, as they booked their place at the World Cup with victory over Slovenia.

N’Golo Kante

Chelsea Midfielder

Kante made Premier League history last season by becoming the first outfield player to win the championship in successive seasons with two different clubs. After playing a major role in Leicester’s success in 2015/16, the midfielder was a key member of Chelsea’s triumph last term following a £32 million move. He was named the Player of the Year by the Professional Footballers’ Association and the Football Writers’ Association. Fame has not gone to his head, though — the 26-year-old still drives a Mini to the club’s training ground in Cobham.

Stan Kroenke

Arsenal Majority Shareholder

The American billionaire has said he has no intention of selling his majority 67 per cent share in Arsenal after rejecting a £1 billion bid from Alisher Usmanov. Kroenke, who has long been a staunch supporter of Arsene Wenger, remains determined to turn the club into one of the powerhouses of European football. Kroenke has been the focus of fan anger after Arsenal missed out on Champions League qualification but the club’s financial position has strengthened in recent years.

Alexandre Lacazette

Arsenal Striker

The 26-year-old France international became the most expensive player in Arsenal’s history when he signed for £52 million from Lyon. The deal is a statement of intent from Arsene Wenger, who feels Lacazette can help fire Arsenal to the Premier League title. Lacazette scored more than 20 Ligue 1 goals in each of his past three seasons and scored 129 times in 275 games for Lyon. The fee eclipses Arsenal’s previous record transfer of £42.5 million for Mesut Ozil.

Daniel Levy

Spurs Chairman

The Tottenham chairman is overseeing his club’s move to a 61,500-seat stadium — a project costing about £800 million — in time for the start of the 2018/19 season. He hopes it will allow Spurs to become one of Europe’s elite clubs. Levy remains a master at extracting value from the transfer market when selling his players. This summer, Kyle Walker moved to Manchester City for a fee that could be worth £50 million — an astonishing fee for a full-back. Levy is also pushing Tottenham’s brand in the US with some success.

Alvaro Morata

Chelsea Striker

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte made it his priority to sign a striker this summer and in Alvaro Morata he has certainly bought goals. The 24-year-old, who cost Chelsea a club-record £58 million, scored seven times in his first eight appearances for the Blues. The last of those goals was particularly sweet for the former Real Madrid striker given that it came against Atletico Madrid as the Blues won 2-1 away to the Spanish side in the Champions League.

Steve Parish

Crystal Palace Chairman and Co-Owner

Palace were on the brink of collapse in 2010 when Parish and his consortium saved the Eagles at the 11th hour. Seven years on and Palace are an established Premier League club in their fifth successive top-flight campaign. Parish appointed Frank de Boer as manager in the summer but the Dutchman lasted just 77 days after a terrible start to the season. He has put his faith in former England boss Roy Hodgson to get Palace out of trouble.

Mauricio Pochettino

Spurs Manager

Tottenham’s manager is establishing himself as one of the best in the business, guiding his side to second place in the Premier League last summer despite spending far less than his rivals. The Argentine signed a five-year deal in 2016 and is determined to lead Tottenham into their new ground. He has also improved the club’s homegrown players, most notably Harry Kane. His challenge now is to win a trophy and encourage a better display from his team in European football. Last season, Spurs were knocked out in the group stages of the Champions League but have begun much better this time, topping their table after three games.

Gino Pozzo

Watford Owner

Since completing their takeover in 2012, the Pozzo family have transformed Watford from a Championship team to one playing their third successive season in the Premier League. Gino, a Harvard graduate, took full ownership of the club from his father Giampaolo in 2014 — a move that coincided with the club’s promotion and subsequent success in the top flight. The Hornets have avoided relegation in their first two campaigns and now want to go to the next level under new manager Marco Silva.

Alexis Sanchez

Arsenal Forward

One of the best players in the Premier League, the Arsenal star waits to find out whether his future is at Emirates Stadium as some of Europe’s top clubs chase him. The 28-year-old has entered the final year of his contract and has refused to sign a new deal. Sanchez wants to leave and Arsenal will be backed into making a difficult decision if he does push for a move, although manager Arsene Wenger does not want to sell.

Richard Scudamore

Premier League Executive Chairman

Can claim to be one of the most influential men in world football given the way he has developed the Premier League into the wealthiest on the planet. Initially appointed as the chief executive in 1999, he was appointed executive chairman three years ago. He is responsible for negotiating lucrative TV rights to broadcast live matches. Domestically alone, the fee has risen from £1.2 billion for the 2001/04 seasons to £5.134 billion.

Gareth Southgate

England Manager

Having previously said he did not think he was ready to be England manager, Gareth Southgate stepped up into the role 12 months ago after Sam Allardyce’s reign ended after just 67 days. Southgate, promoted from the Under-21 job, took charge for four games and impressed sufficiently for the FA to give him the job until 2020. With England now heading for the World Cup, the hope is that he can give fans something to cheer in Russia next summer.

David Sullivan

West Ham Co-Owner

West Ham endured a difficult first season at the London Stadium but Sullivan and co-owner David Gold stood by their manager Slaven Bilic and were rewarded with Premier League football for this term. Sullivan keeps a close eye on transfer dealings and he has backed the boss with a number of signings, including former Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez.

Jodie Taylor

Arsenal WFC Striker

The 31-year-old Arsenal striker looked like a veteran of the international game at this year’s European Championships, winning the top scorer Golden Boot award with five goals. However, this was only her second appearance in finals as she did not earn her first cap until 2014. The 2019 World Cup in France will be her next goal with England.

Arsene Wenger

Arsenal Manager

The Arsenal boss brought months of uncertainty to an end when he signed a new two-year contract in May, days after guiding the club to victory against Chelsea in the FA Cup Final. For the first time under Wenger, Arsenal finished outside the Premier League top four last season and missed out on Champions League qualification. The Frenchman’s 22nd season in charge has the club aiming for their first title since 2003/04 but a return to Europe’s elite would be welcome.