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Former Fulham owner Mohamed Al-Fayed hits back at Felix Magath mismanagement claims
FORMER Fulham owner Mohamed Al Fayed has hit back at Felix Magath's criticism of his management of the club.
Magath has criticised the squad at his disposal when he arrived and pointed the finger firmly at Al Fayed for failing to invest before Shahid Khan bought the club off him in July 2013.
Magath said: "What I've heard is that the last owner didn't want to invest in the team so they sold well-performing players and looked for players without fees.
"In every club, if you don't invest in the team it is difficult to have success."
But Al Fayed has refuted the Germans claims, saying that he is not the one to blame.
In a letter to the media, Al Fayed said: "What a strange man Felix Magath is.
"When I sold the Club to Shahid Khan on 13, July 2013, it was debut-free, in first class financial shape and had finished the previous season in respectable mid-table.
"During my ownership Fulham climbed three divisions, played in an FA Cup semi-final, won the Inter-Toto Cup, fought through to the final of the Europa League and lost to Atletico Madrid only after extra time, made two England managers in Kevin Keegan and Roy Hodgson and achieved its highest ever finish in the top flight, seventh in 2009.
What a strange man Felix Magath is.
"I also made sure that every manager who ever worked for me had the money to strengthen the squad.
"The squad was not 'threadbare' when I sold the Club. It comprised of many fine international players.
"I challenge Mr. Magath to name the 'well-performing players' that he accuses me of selling; the only ones who were sold insisted on leaving.
"And I did not bring in 'eight new players in January', which Mr. Magath also identifies as the cause of his woes.
"Mr. Magath says he had the same problems in bringing in new players at Wolfsburg.
"Well, he might be right there. But if I remember correctly, we beat Wolfsburg in Germany when I owned the Fulham."