Jeff Shi: Wolves is in Fosun’s blood
Executive chairman Jeff Shi has restated Fosun’s long-term commitment to Wolves, declaring: “The club is now in our blood”.
But Shi has admitted achieving the owners’ lofty ambitions is likely to take longer than first thought when buying the club five years ago.
Speaking during a Q&A session on the Wolves website, Shi said: “Of course, in 10 years, 20 years, we do hope Wolves will be the best in the world, that doesn’t change.
“But it doesn’t mean that we are very anxious or very eager, no. I think we have a dream, we have a plan. We’re trying our best to make the plan be realised.”
Shi added: “We always want to be the best. It’s like with my daughters, I want them to go to Oxford or Cambridge, to find a good job in the future, to have a good life, but maybe they cannot go to Cambridge or Oxford, right?
“Maybe they will fail in their exams or whatever, but it doesn’t matter. It’s like this.”
Under Fosun’s leadership Wolves have risen from the bottom half of the Championship to the Premier League but Shi believes breaking into English football’s elite now represents their toughest test.
Dismissing fears the owners’ plans might be hindered by regulation from the Chinese government, Shi admitted Fosun had initially viewed Wolves as a “pilot project”.
But he added: “After five years now, it’s like a partner, you have the emotional attachment and now it’s already a part of Fosun and in the blood. The end objective is always, always stay with Fosun.”
Wolves’ search for a new head coach has, meanwhile, entered a key 24 hours with top target Bruno Lage today set to attend a work permit hearing.
Former boss Nuno Espirito Santo has been linked with Everton, where current boss Carlo Ancelotti is expected to leave ahead of a return to Real Madrid.
Nuno is also still in the frame for the vacant hot-seat at Crystal Palace, vacated by Roy Hodgson at the end of the season.
