Michael Appleton has disclosed that he was able to have a talk with Gabriel Brener

Michael Appleton has disclosed that he was able to have a talk with Gabriel Brener while in the UK over the last week.

Brener, a former Houston Dynamo majority shareholder, owns a stake in Global Football Partners (GFP), the company that bought Charlton Athletic from Thomas Sandgaard in the summer.

The private investor was sighted at The Valley on Saturday during the Addicks’ 2-2 draw with Blackpool.

Brener, a Mexican-American, became the majority ownership of the Texas-based MLS team in late 2015, eventually selling it to Ted Segal in 2021.

The Dynamo ended in the bottom four of the Western Conference in four of Brener’s five full seasons as head coach, according to The Athletic.

Dynamo finished in the bottom four of the Western Conference in four of Brener’s five full seasons at the helm, with The Athletic describing the Texans as “a small-market club with its operation despite operating in the United States’ fourth largest city.
Brener is understood to be one of GFP’s largest shareholders, along with fellow countryman Joshua Friedman. They aren’t expected to take a hands-on role in SE7, with the club’s in-house board running the show for the ownership group.

Appleton said that he had sat down for a chat with Brener a couple of days before last week’s trip to Shrewsbury.

“I had half an hour before training,” explained the Charlton boss.

“Just getting to know each other a little bit more. I’m aware of his background. He clearly had done his due diligence like you’d expect. A lot of the football side in terms of the interviews was with the likes of Andy [Scott, technical director] and the like.

“I liked it. A fantastic conversation. A very positive conversation. Every Charlton supporter will be pleased if we can replicate what he did with one of his sides in the United States in terms of where he took them and where he ended up leaving them.

“There’s Andy, Simon [Lenegan], Charlie [Methven], Jim [Rodwell], and Ed [Warrick] on the board.” They will be my line managers, with whom I will have regular contact.”