Billy Beane believes Arsenal run their club in the right way, admitting to being a huge fan of the London outfit for how they’ve remained competitive in the Premier League and transfer market.

Beane was the subject of the film Moneyball and led Oakland Athletics baseball club to unexpected glory using mathematics. Much like Arsenal have been trying to do for the last decade or so, Beane’s baseball team had to compete against much richer opponents to find success.

He thinks Arsenal should be praised for going about things in the right way as a result, reports the Daily Mail: “I won’t go deep into it but I’m a huge fan of Arsenal football club. I think it’s a really [good example], from the football field to the way it’s been run, the stadium and everything, to me it’s an admirable football club. It’s a football entity when all’s said and done.”

Whatever you think about the way Arsenal are going, especially right now with the rumours about majority shareholder Stan Kroenke trying to purchase 100% of the shares in the club and turn it into a privately owned entity, it’s hard to deny the Gunners came through a difficult period relatively well.

Arsenal spent a large amount of money on a new stadium, managed to stay competing near the top of the Premier League and in other domestic competitions during that period, and have since begun to win trophies again.

If Arsenal had big investors like Chelsea or Manchester City during that period, things would’ve been a lot easier, and that’s the problem for fans. Most supporters don’t really care whether the club achieves its goals on its own merits or if an oligarch comes along and buys those goals for you.

But clearly Beane does care, and gives the Gunners credit for what they’ve done.