'Craven Cottage builds intimacy ... an identity to the club'

Vice-chairman Tony Khan has seen Fulham stabilise in the top flight but says they are now aiming higher

- Jacob Steinberg

Tony Khan does not look or sound like a man who has just watched his team lose a local derby in agonising circumstances. If he is feeling bruised after seeing Fulham fall to a last-minute defeat at home to Chelsea he is hiding it well. Instead Khan, the vice-chairman and director of football operations, brings nothing but positivity when he breezes into a small, private room at Craven Cottage and starts to talk about his hopes for the future.

The most immediate issue is whether Fulham's push for European qualification is still on. "Oh absolutely," says Khan, on a flying visit to London from his Florida base. "We have a very good chance and we have so many exciting things we can achieve in the remaining fixtures. It's been such a great season. There's a lot of great things happening at the club. It's been so fantastic. I'm really excited for the future."

It has been 12 years since Khan's father, Shahid, bought Fulham. There were challenges during the ownership's early years - relegations from the Premier League in 2014, 2019 and 2021 - but the outlook is brighter than ever. Shaking off a reputation as a yo-yo club is a good feeling for the Khans, who also own the NFL team the Jacksonville Jaguars.

This is Fulham's third consecutive season in the top flight, the expansion of the ground provides an opportunity to increase revenue and there is pride at the team's progress since the appointment of Marco Silva four years ago.

"It's a real thing we've built, a family environment, a close-knit club," Khan says. The 42-year-old started working on Fulham's transfers in 2016 and became sporting director a year later.