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By JAMIE GARDNER, PA and LUKE POWER Published: 05: 07 AEDT, 22 March 2025 | Updated: 05: 07 AEDT, 22 March 2025 11 View comments Reading owner Dai Yongge must sell the club by April 5 or risk the Royals being suspended from the EFL. It emerged in a court hearing on Friday that Dai had been disqualified under the EFL's owners' and directors' test, something which the EFL later confirmed in a statement. The disqualification is understood to be linked to Dai's business interests in China rather than anything related to Reading but it requires him to divest from the club within 28 days of the sanction being imposed. 'In the event that he fails to do so within the agreed timeframe, the League will consider all options available within its regulations to bring the matter to a conclusion, ' an EFL statement read. One of those options is to suspend the club, but it is also possible an extension to divest could be granted. The EFL, which failed in an earlier bid to disqualify Dai at an independent commission hearing in November 2023, said it would 'continue to work closely with Reading to progress a sale of the club at the earliest opportunity'. Reading owner Dai Yongge must sell the club by April 5 or the club risk being kicked out the EFL Yongge failed an owners and directors' test due to his business interests in China Fans have repeatedly protested against Yongge's ownership, with this mass pitch invasion causing Reading's game against Port Vale to be abandoned in January 2024 The court hearing where the disqualification came to light centres around a dispute between Dai and former Wycombe owner Rob Couhig, who sought to buy Reading before a deal collapsed last September. A statement from Reading issued on Friday said Dai 'remains committed to working with the EFL to sell the club and secure its long-term future'. Yongge was sued for £10. 3m by Couhig, who alleged that he lent Reading £5m as part of an attempted takeover, only for the proposed £25m deal to collapse in September. The Royals claimed at the time that they had paid back all his loans with the accrued interest. But the American responded by lodging a claim in the High Court and is seeking £800, 000 in costs and £9. 5m in possible lost profits. Couhig, who owned Wycombe Wanderers between 2014 and 2019, made the claim against Renhe Sports Management, Yongge's business through which he owns Reading. Yongge has responded by trying to get an injunction against Couhig, who is attempting to block Yongge's bid to sell Reading to another buyer. However, the court heard on Friday morning that Yongge has failed his Owners' and Directors' Test due to his debts in China. He is being sued by ex-Wycombe owner Rob Couhig (pictured) after the American's attempted takeover of Reading collapsed last year Fans are desperate for Yongge to sell the club, but he remains in charge for now As stated on the Premier League website, the Test 'outlines requirements that would prohibit an individual from becoming an owner or director of a club. These include criminal convictions for a wide range of offences, a ban by a sporting or professional body, or breaches of certain key football regulations, such as match-fixing. ' The review takes place on a seasonal basis. Yongge failing the Test could be a major blow for his chances of selling Reading after he entered talks with an anonymous buyer last month. Yongge completed his takeover of Reading alongside his sister Dai Xiu Lui in 2017, but the club have endured a torrid eight years with him at the helm. They have dropped into League One amid their financial struggles, leading to multiple fan protests. Reading's League One match with Port Vale was abandoned after just 16 minutes in January 2024 following a mass pitch invasion by angry supporters. The fans refused to get off the pitch despite the club's pleas, leading to the game being called off. The Sell Before We Dai fan group, which is aimed at pushing owner Yongge to leave the club, insisted the action was 'just the start'. 'We shouldn't be doing this. We should be enjoying the game with friends and family, ' the group posted on X. 'This is just the start Dai. We are coming for you. So do yourself a favour and sell. ' Fourteen months later, Yongge is still in charge of Reading, who are currently eighth in England's third tier.
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