Credit: UK Parliament

Scott Mason

Wed 25 March 2026 15:40, UK

Daniel Kretinsky has come under scrutiny over the performance of Royal Mail, with the West Ham United shareholder issuing an apology for inadequate services.

The Hammers’ board has long been an area heavily criticised by Irons fans, and with Kretinsky holding a 27 per cent stake, he has not escaped that.

Away from West Ham, his dealings also appear to be under the microscope, with the Czech billionaire appearing in front of MPs amid an ongoing crisis with Royal Mail.

Kretinsky expanded his portfolio in England beyond the East London club in 2025 by completing a takeover of the postal service.

Now, the West Ham shareholder is back in the spotlight with his business venture at Royal Mail not currently going to plan.

Why West Ham shareholder Daniel Kretinsky faced MP questions

Kretinsky, while holding 27 per cent in West Ham, does not often speak publically about the Hammers or his involvement.

The Czech does not typically deal with the day-to-day or footballing matters in E20, leaving that up to the executives, with his focus on his other businesses such as Royal Mail.

However, the Hammers’ shareholder has been facing criticism with Royal Mail failing to deliver on their business promises.

Kretinsky was called forward to face questions over late deliveries and price rises since his takeover of the postal service in front of MPs at the Business & Trade Committee.

The 50-year-old admitted he was “deeply sorry” for any letters being delivered late while hitting back at suggestions that the service is declining.

Kretinsky pointed out that the services provided by Royal Mail are ones which cannot be found anywhere across Europe.

While not Hammers-related, with rumours of Kretinsky taking over at West Ham, a track record of publically viewed “failures” in England will not provide much hope to fans.

How likely is a David Kretinsky West Ham takeover?

You can count on one hand how many times Kretinsky has spoken about his investment into the Hammers.

However, the Czech billionaire does have the option to complete a majority takeover of the East London outfit.

Vanessa Gold, who took on the 25.1 per cent control of the Irons upon the death of her father, David, has been willing to part ways with her stake since 2023.

Additionally, upon obtaining his 27 per cent share in West Ham, Kretinsky and David Sullivan agreed that the Czech could purchase his shares at a set price.

Although it was said that option had a time constraint, with no timeline provided for its expiry.

Overall, if the businessman wanted to take full control of the Irons, he would have plenty of options to do so.