Coventry City’s owners SISU never had any intention of agreeing a deal over the rent for use of the facilities at the Ricoh Arena, according to Jacky Isaac, Interim CEO for Arena Coventry Limited.
Although full figures have not been mentioned, it is that a deal cheaper than the already rejected £650k a year offer plus a deal to pay back the rent, which has not been paid over the last ten months, over a number of years, was dismissed by SISU.
Speaking to the Coventry Telegraph’s Keith Perry, Jacky Isaac said: "If the club wants to use this facility then they have to honour their contractual obligations to pay the rent.
"That means, at the very least, having a meaningful conversation with ACL.
"ACL has been talking to CCFC for ten months. At the weekend we offered them what we genuinely believe to be an excellent deal on the rent - the kind of deal that we simply wouldn’t offer any other tenant.
"We’ve done that because we know how important CCFC is to the city.
"But Sisu has still turned down the offer. The numbers can’t be disclosed because of commercial sensitivities.
"But it is important that the people of Coventry know that ACL has bent over backwards to be supportive on this.
"What happens now is up to Sisu. They have 21 days to pay the outstanding rent and come to an agreement with us.
"However, after turning down our most recent offer, we have to question whether at any point during our conversations in the last ten months, Sisu ever had any intention of reaching a deal with us."