Amanda Staveley said she could “move on to other projects” following her departure from Newcastle United.
Staveley and husband Mehrdad Ghoudouss played critical roles in the Saudi Arabia-led £305million takeover of Newcastle in 2021 but have stepped away from the club earlier this month.
The pair’s influence on the club’s turn in fortunes is significant, with Staveley playing a particularly large role in helping the club qualify for the Champions League for the first time in two decades and reaching the Carabao Cup final. The 51-year-old businesswoman was also paramount in making the women’s set-up a fully professional operation.
Reflecting on her exit, Staveley said she was “devastated” to leave the Premier League side.
“It’s such a wonderful club, so it feels very bittersweet,” Staveley told The Athletic. “It has become part of my DNA, something you love so much and don't want to let go. It's very painful.
“And I would wish to be there every day, but it's also not fair. The club's management team need to have the chance to deliver their business plan. We did a great job and it's been a privilege to be part of it, but they need to be left to do their jobs, too.
“Maybe we were right for Newcastle for those few years. Maybe that's what they needed. But I'd be useless just standing there doing nothing and it wouldn't be fair on Darren [Eales] if we're always there telling them what we think. There's processes and accountability and they'll figure it out.”
Staveley and Ghodoussi left St James’ Park after selling their remaining shares to PIF, increasing their stake in the club from 80% to 85%.
But Staveley and Ghodoussi’s football investment days might not yet be behind them. Recent reports have linked the pair with Tottenham, with Staveley reportedly to have held talks about the possibility of investment after raising £500m through her investment fund PCP Capital Partners.
Asked as to whether there was truth to these reports, Staveley said: “My preference would have been to stay with Newcastle, but life doesn't always work out exactly how you want it to. Nothing is going to replicate that.
“I fell in love with Newcastle, the club and the people and that can't change, but I didn't want to get in Newcastle's way. It's got to be about what's best for Newcastle.
“Mehrdad and I are keen to be hands-on. We're hard-working people, I love to be very busy and to engage and I love football.
“Very sadly, we have to move on to other projects and that might involve us taking a stake in another club or buying another club and that's difficult. But it's possible.”