EFL urge Derby County administrators to prove club can survive as Chris Kirchner misses deadline
- Seb Sternik
- 11 June 2022
The English Football League has called on Derby County’s administrators to prove the viability of the club after Chris Kirchner failed to present his proof of funds ahead of Friday's deadline.
The American businessman, who was named as the preferred bidder back in April, failed to meet Friday's 5pm deadline to prove he was in a position to complete the deal for the Rams.
After the deadline was missed, the EFL expressed their concerns for Derby's future in a statement.
The governing body said: "Following confirmation from the administrators at Derby County that the transaction with Chris Kirchner has not progressed, the EFL calls on Quantuma to clarify how they plan to take the club out of administration.
"As previously communicated, the League is incredibly frustrated at the time it is taking to conclude this sale.
"With the league just two weeks away from announcing its 2022/23 fixture list, it urgently requires a clear understanding of how the club will be funded moving forwards, be that through the administrators or under new ownership."
Kirchner did exchange contracts with Derby's administrators back on May 16. A month earlier, the club's relegation to League One was confirmed.
BREAKING: Chris Kirchner has failed to complete a deal to take over Derby County before the 5pm deadline set by the club's administrators. pic.twitter.com/Za1bpjp4EK
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) June 10, 2022
The Rams were docked 21 points at the start of their Championship season - a penalty imposed over the club's financial problems.
The EFL, which gave conditional approval to Kirchner's ownership bid, had expressed its disappointment and called for a resolution "as a matter of urgency".
A statement from administrators Quantama read: "Further to our update yesterday evening, and despite the best efforts of the parties, Mr Kirchner has, as of yet, not provided us with satisfactory evidence that he is in a position to complete the acquisition of the club - albeit he continues to work on this.
"The joint administrators are continuing discussions with other interested parties. Contrary to reports in the media today, no interested party has been excluded from these discussions."
