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US money takes football

The United States has managed to definitively land in soccer. His control and power has expanded to take over clubs of all kinds. The last three examples are Chelsea, Olympique de Lyon and Milan. The power of the dollar in these times of crisis means that with each passing day, North American investors are looking at more European clubs. To which must be added that the City Group holding company is increasingly putting its claws into Manchester City’s satellite clubs, a strategy that Todd Boehly also wants to implement around Chelsea.

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Todd Boehly.Clive MasonGetty

In 1994 the United States organized the World Cup and soccer was already a reality throughout the American continent. Now in the 21st century, billionaires, North American investors and avid vulture company managers are betting their money on the purchase of European football clubs. An increasingly fashionable practice. If the world championship was a: “Here we are”. Now is the total control of football.

There is no major soccer league in which a club, needy or not, has succumbed to the clutches of US money. Chelsea, in its express sale process by Roman Abramovich, finally fell into the hands of investor Todd Boehly. But the London club is not the only one. It is no longer just Qatar, or the holding company City Group of Abu Dhabi or the Red Bull conglomerate that controls a network of indistinct clubs. Now it is the investors with North American capital who take over the clubs: Stephen Pagliuca, John Textor, Todd Boehly, Paul Singer…

spain

Royal Saragossa: Jorge Mas, through Real Venture share ownership with Global Tavira. ZFútbol, ​​a company created by ex-NBA Jim Miller, also an American, has shares in the La Romareda club.

The new president Jorge Mas poses in La Romareda with a Real Zaragoza shirt.

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The new president Jorge Mas poses in La Romareda with a Real Zaragoza shirt.ALFONSO REYES

Alcorcon: David S. Blitzer is one of the great sports owners. He owns shares in ADO Den Haag in the Netherlands; Augsburg of the Bundesliga; Crystal Palace, from the Premier and Waasland-Beveren from the Jupiler Pro. In addition, from Alcorcón who plays in the 1st RFEF. Other sports investments of his are the Real Salt Lake of the MLS; New Jersey Devils of the NHL; Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA and Cleveland Guardians of the MLB.

Mallorca: The controversial Robert Sarver, owner of the Phoenix Suns, owns the Balearic club along with Brooklyn Nets coach Steve Nash and former tennis player Andy Kohlberg.

Robert Sarver, Andy Kohlberg and Steve Nash, handing out paella in Mallorca.

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Robert Sarver, Andy Kohlberg and Steve Nash, handing out paella in Mallorca.MIQUEL A. BORRASDAILY AS

Sevilla: 777Partners, is a venture capital company based in Miami, which has 5% of the Seville club. They have just bought Standard de Liège and have invested to acquire 70% of Vasco de Gama. He also owns the Italian Genoa and the Red Star.

Leganes: it is the last club in Spain to join the control of the United States. Bluew Crow Sports, with Jeff Luhnow at the helm, paid almost €40M to Victoria Pavón and Felipe Moreno for almost the entirety of the club in the south of Madrid.

JEFF LUHNOW.

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JEFF LUHNOW.JAVIER GANDULDAILY AS

Premier

Manchester United: the Glazer family controls Manchester United and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFL). The brothers Joel and Avram have been highly criticized by the social mass of the entity.

Arsenal: philanthropist Stan Kroenke also invests in the Los Angeles Rams, current Super Bowl 2022 champion, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Rapids, Colorado Avalanche…

Stan Kroenke.

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Stan Kroenke.FREDERIC J. BROWNAFP

Aston Villa: co-owner Wes Edens, who also has a significant stake in the Milwaukee Bucks.

Burnley: Velocity Sports Partners (VSP), the sports investment arm of US management firm ALK Capital, headed by Alan Pace.

Crystal Palace: John Textor (O. Lyon, Botafogo, Molembeek) and David S. Blitzer (investor of Alcorcón, ADO Den Haag, Augsburg, Waasland-Beveren, Real Salt Lake of the MLS, apart from owning part of Philadelphia) are some of its owners. .

Leeds: 49ers Enterprises also owns the San Francisco 49ers NFL team.

Liverpool: John W. Henry and Tom Werner are the owners with the holding company Fenway Sport Group, which is also owned by LeBron James. They own the Boston Red Sox baseball team and the NHL team, the Pittsburg Penguins.

Jürgen Klopp, along with John W. Henry.

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Jürgen Klopp, along with John W. Henry.Barrington CoombsGetty Images

Chelsea: Todd Boehly acquired the London club following the tumultuous departure of Roman Abramovich. The billionaire is part owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers. New ownership includes Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyssto the co-owner of the Dodgers, Mark Walterand the British real estate investor Jonathan Goldstein. The operation is backed by the group of small US investors Clearlake Capital Group.

Manchester City: One part (10%) belongs to Silver Lake, which in 2019 became a shareholder of City Group, together with the holding company City Group and China Media Capital.

And the Bournemouth can be next if Bill Foley gets approval from the Premier League to acquire the English entity.

Championship:

The Coventry It is owned by one of the few women in the world of football: Joy Seppala.

Barnsley It is NewCity Capital, owner of several teams: Oostende (Belgium), Kaiserlautern (Germany), Nancy (France), Esbjerg (Denmark), Den Bosch (Netherlands) and FC Thun (Switzerland). Also, Billy Beane, on whom the Moneyball book is based, has a minority stake in the club, as well as AZ Alkmaar.

Millwall: owned by Chestnut Hill Ventures.

Swansea: Stephen Kaplan and Jason Levien have 68% of the club. He is also part owner of DC United and was CEO of the Memphis Grizzlies.

They also have teams in the different categories of English football such as Cambridge United, Ipswich Town, Portsmouth, Prymouth Argyle, Wycombe Wanderes…

Italia

Atalanta: it is owned 55% by Bain Capital with Stephen Pagliuca (owner of the Boston Celtics) as one of the banners. Mitt Rommey, a 2012 Republican White House candidate, is the founder of the Massachusetts company.

Pagliuca co-owner of the Boston Celtics of the NBA and Atalanta.

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Pagliuca co-owner of the Boston Celtics of the NBA and Atalanta.Jennifer PottheiserGetty Images

Genoa: 777Partners, based in Miami, a venture capital company that owns 70% of Vasco de Gama, and 5% of Sevilla. In addition, they have just bought the Standard de Liège.

Milan: bought by RedBird Capital Partners last August from the US fund Elliot Management Corporation, with Paul Singer as the visible head for 1,200 million euros. LeBron James and rapper Drake are some of RedBird’s investors, who also own shares in Liverpool.

Parma: Krause Group has almost all of the entity’s shares.

Roma: Dan Friedkin is the owner of Roma since 2020. He has also invested in the world of cinema and has the distributor NEON, which was the one who promoted the Oscar winner, ‘Parasites’.

Fiorentina: owned by Rocco Commisso, born in Calabria but with dual nationality. He owns the New York Cosmos.

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Spice: Platek, co-founder of the ‘MSD Capital’ fund, already owned two European clubs: Casa Pia, from the Portuguese second division, and Danish Sonderjyske Foodbold.

Venezia: Duncan Niederauer is since 2020 the president of the club.

France

Olympic Lyon: Eagle Football Holdings, through millionaire John Textor, has acquired 80% of the shares of Olympique de Lyon, which has 40% in Crystal Palace of the Premier League; an 80% stake in Racing White Daring Molenbeek of the Belgian Pro-League and a 90% stake in Botafogo of the Brazilian Serie A.

John Textor, together with Jean-Michel Aulas.

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John Textor, together with Jean-Michel Aulas.OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLEAFP

Olympique de Marseille: Frank McCourt, owner of Olympique de Marseille since 2016, also had the Los Angeles Dodgers in his portfolio. He now owns Global Champions Tour, jump circuit.

Toulouse: It was acquired in 2020 by RedBird Capital, the same property as Milan and in part through Fenway Sport Group, from Liverpool.

Caen: Oaktree Capital Management is a venture capital company that, together with Frenchman Pierre-Antoine Capton, owns the French Ligue 2 club.

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