Leaked video footage has been obtained, appearing to show sports executive Jason Sourasis attempting to ease nerves among Western United investors by promising a rescue deal for the crisis-hit club.
It comes just days after it was revealed that Scott Pendlebury had filed a statement of claim in the Victorian Supreme Court against Mr Sourasis, which alleged his financial advisor and friend had appropriated $2.1million from his investment accounts over the course of 10 years without his knowledge or consent.
The claim adds that the funds were sent to entities that are tied to Mr Sourasis’ Western Melbourne Group who announced plans last year to build a $2billion sports and recreation development in Melbourne’s west, which included a new 15,000-capacity stadium for Western United.
Court documents also claim that the Australian businessman, who is a shareholder and director of Hemisphere Group, had failed to pay Mr Pendlebury back a $300,000 loan.
Mr Sourasis told The Herald Sun that he ‘vehemently denies the claims’ and will defend himself against the allegations from Mr Pendlebury. Daily Mail has contacted Mr Sourasis for comment.
Now Code Sports has released a leaked video online, which shows Mr Sourasis presenting a new deal for Western United investors.
A leaked video has emerged of Jason Sourasis (pictured right with Scott Pendlebury) telling investors of the Western Melbourne Group to expect big returns before going insolvent
Sourasis (pictured) is the majority owner of Western United FC and had been working as Pendlebury’s financial adviser since 2013. The pair are also understood to be good friends. Earlier this week, Pendlebury issued a claim against Sourasis, alleging that he had misappropriated funds from the footballer, without Pendlebury’s knowledge
Western United have been placed in ‘hibernation’ and will not compete in the 2025-26 A-League season, after the club’s management company were wound up in insolvency
A star-studded list of sporting personalities are also included in that list of backers, according to The Herald Sun. Some of those names include tennis star Thanasi Kokkinakis and AFL players, Jy Simpkin and Jack Ziebell.
Western United were plunged into a financial crisis earlier this year, after a federal court ordered the embattled club’s management group, Western Melbourne Group Holdings and three other companies owned by Mr Sourasis to be wound up in insolvency.
It is understood that lawyers for the Western Melbourne Group had sought an adjournment to the proceedings, which took place in August, stating that they had found fresh investment to pay off their debts.
It was revealed in May that American firm KAM Sports had been in talks with Western Melbourne Group to take a controlling stake in the A-League side, worth $100million.
During the clip, Mr Sourasis can be seen informing investors about the proposed arrangement, telling stakeholders that the new deal would deliver returns of up to ‘30 per cent a year’.
Mr Sourasis added that KAM Sports, who are spearheaded by US property investor Maciek Kaminski, were the ‘real deal’ and that the money they would be providing was ‘liquid’.
‘KAM Sports, we’re all working towards September 30, I don’t like giving dates because I haven’t been able to stick to any of them, unfortunately, because we always get let down,’ he told the investors.
‘They made a lot of their money in property in Minnesota in the US and my understanding is they are now based out of Dubai for tax purposes,’ he added, while showcasing renders and plans of buildings that would be constructed on the site.
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It was revealed in May that American firm KAM Sports had been in talks with Western Melbourne Group to take a controlling stake in the A-League side, worth $100million, but the company pulled out of the deal
According to court documents, the former Collingwood captain, who signed on for another season at Collingwood earlier this year, has alleged that Sourasis embezzled more than $2.1m from his investment accounts over the course of 10 years
‘They did try to buy a couple of Premier League clubs over the last couple of years and are still in discussion to buy some of the bigger European clubs, one in the Italian league that I obviously can’t share for confidentiality purposes.’
But in August, KAM Sports pulled out of the deal. Kaminski and his son Mikhail, who heads the company, had told The Australian Financial Review in August that Western United’s failure to pay players and the stripping of its licence by Football Australia was the reason why they were not willing to purchase a controlling stake in the club.
‘If they’re not making wages payments on time, they’re not operating the club appropriately,’ Mikhail Kaminski said. ‘We feel bad for people of Tarneit, the people in this great district, but we can’t sit around forever while we wait for government to tell us whether or not there’s something to buy.’
Later that month, the Federal Court ordered Western United’s management group to be wound up. An application for a review of that decision has been launched by the Western Melbourne Group.
The team will sit out the 2025-26 season having now been placed in ‘conditional hibernation’ by administrators, the Australian Professional Leagues.
‘We see great value in the potential of Western United and the opportunity of having an A-League club in the west of Melbourne — the fastest growing corridor in Australia,’ the Australian Professional Leagues said. ‘The club has had great success on the pitch and their academies are an important pathway for emerging young talent in the Victorian football community — but we need to do what is best for the league, our partners and our other clubs at this time.’
