Kyril Louis-Dreyfus claims there were 'no scouts' at Sunderland after takeover and reveals ambitions

Kyril Louis Dreyfus has revealed that there were 'no scouts' at Sunderland following his takeover and has opened up regarding his ambitions for the club whilst talking about arch-rivals Newcastle United.

The Louis-Dreyfus family founded the Louis-Dreyfus group in 1851 and the company has been involved in agriculture, food processing, international shipping and finance over the years.

Louis-Dreyfus' net worth is thought to be around £2billion and that would make him the 17th richest owner in the Premier League should Sunderland be promoted from the Championship. The Frenchman took a "controlling stake" in the club back in 2021 but it was later revealed that the Madrox group still owned the majority of shares before later being bought out.

“There was no recruitment department, there was no data science department, there were no scouts, there was no academy manager," Louis Dreyfus told the Financial Times about the situation at Sunderland when he arrived. "If you looked at the vacancies list, it was almost entirely vacant,” he said of his early time in charge. “While it seems like we’re completely different now, we have to keep a level of realism. These things take a little bit of time.”

Louis-Dreyfus was also asked about Newcastle United, who are under the ownership of the Saudi Arabian government's investment fund. “The first thing everyone said to me when I arrived was that the region thrives off having a strong Sunderland and a strong Newcastle. For many years, both clubs were not doing well, and I think it had a real negative impact on the whole region,” he said.   

Sunderland were recently embroiled in controversy surrounding January's FA Cup clash against Newcastle United at the Stadium of Light., where they Tynesiders were made to feel very welcome and at one point, had redecorated an area of Sunderland's stadium with Magpie slogans. “In Sunderland, I go through the same entrance as thousands of fans. By going to games, you get to feel what the mood is like in the fan base, you understand what the community wants, hopes,” he said. “I’m fully aware of what the rivalry means.”

on Sunderland's Championship promotion hopes, Louis-Dreyfus added: "The uniqueness of the league is that every single team in the division goes into it with the hope, the investment and the belief that this is the year they’re going to get promoted,” he said. “It can shift very quickly, both ways. You can be bottom of the table and get promoted, and you can be top of the table and get relegated. For the [fans], it’s very exciting. But for the owners, it’s a very, very difficult league.”

The Louis-Dreyfus company made over $1billion in profit during the last fiscal year, according to Fortune, though Kyril Louis-Dreyfus does not have full control of the company. The organisation employs over 22,000 people.

His father, Robert, was also the CEO of Adidas and Saatchi & Saachi and a previous owner of Olympique de Marseille before he passed away in 2009. Kyril Louis-Dreyfus' mother, Margarita, has a current net worth of £2.7billion, according to Forbes.