How John Mousinho really feels about big ownership changes Portsmouth announced this week | OneFootball

The Eisner family confirmed changes behind the scenes of the Portsmouth ownership structure earlier this week

Portsmouth confirmed changes to the ownership structure earlier this month as they seek survival in their second season back in the Championship.

Pompey gained promotion from League One when they clinched the title in 2024 under John Mousinho.

A 16th place finish in the previous campaign established the Hampshire outfit at this level, with their promotion returning them to the Championship for the first time since 2012.

Owner Michael Eisner took 100 percent control of the club following their League Two promotion success in 2017.

However, Portsmouth announced earlier this week that the former Disney CEO has relinquished 73.5 percent of his ownership stake to his three sons, leaving him with the remaining 26.5 percent.

The 84-year-old has retained 100 percent of the voting rights as part of the agreement, citing succession planning as the reason for the change.

John Mousinho reacts to Portsmouth ownership change

Mousinho has welcomed the changes to the Portsmouth ownership structure, suggesting that the move shows the long-term commitment the Eisner family has to the club.

He believes the entire family are behind the team, and that he has no fears over a potential sale any time in the near future.

“It just confirms their long-term commitment to the club,” said Mousinho, via The News.

“It shows they’re not looking to sell up or seek outside investment.

“We’ve got a family who are really committed to the football club, so I think it’s a positive move.”

Mousinho also opened up on his relationship to the entire Eisner family, highlighting the commitment the owner’s wife and daughter have to the club, even if they are not directly involved in this new ownership structure.

The 39-year-old has claimed that he deals a lot with Michael’s sons Eric, Anders and Breck, and that they are all very interested in the progress of the team.

“I deal with the entire family,” he added.

“That’s not just Michael and his sons, but there’s such an interest from Michael’s sister and Michael’s wife will come over.

“There’s always a lot of presence when the Eisner family comes over.

“There’s Eric, Anders and Breck, whether there’s Michael or [his wife] Jane here, too.

“It’s really everyone in that family who enjoy the football club and has an interest in everything we do.

“There will be times when it’s just Eric over on his own, or just Michael over on his own. Anders and Breck have done the same thing as well, so you get a different perspective - but they are all fully committed to the club.

“That’s probably fair [that Eric is the most involved].

“Maybe [he has the most passion for football], but when you speak to all three of them there’s still a lot of knowledge.

“Whether it consumes as much of their time as it does Eric’s, I don’t know, but there’s a huge amount of interest across the board.”

Portsmouth are currently in the battle against relegation back to League One in what has been a difficult campaign for the team.

However, Mousinho’s side are still 19th in the table heading into the weekend, even if the gap to the relegation zone is only two points.

Pompey also have a game in hand on their rivals, with 18th place QPR seven points clear of the Hampshire outfit.

The team are winless in their last four games, and they will be hoping to put that run to an end on Monday night when they return to action.

Portsmouth will face Derby County at Fratton Park on 16 March in an 8pm kick-off, and they could even be in the drop zone by the time it gets underway, if results elsewhere go against them.

Ownership structure change is positive for Portsmouth

Eisner turned 84 earlier this year, so he is thinking about the long-term future of the club with this move, as he won’t be around forever.

That his sons have already been involved with how the team has been run over the years means that this should be a fairly seamless change behind the scenes.

The Eisner family are showing their commitment to Portsmouth with this move, and supporters should feel secure under the former Disney boss for now.

Surviving relegation is still the main objective, and if they can stay in the Championship, then the Eisner family can reaffirm that commitment with some investment into the squad in the summer.