Wealthy families and individuals owned football clubs till the recent past. However, many investment companies and brands now control the sporting agencies.
Ownership of football clubs is often associated with investment companies that inject significant funds into their development and prosperity. Interestingly, among the owners of football clubs, one can frequently find investors who take an interest in which new UK betting sites 2023 to pick for mutually beneficial cooperation of both parties. However, it is important to note that investors always prioritize safe and responsible gambling, placing importance on ratings and expert reviews to make informed and responsible choices, ensuring they do not jeopardize their own savings.
Let’s explore who owns the top clubs around the world and how it affects football. Moreover, we will find out if the companies control the teams.
Football Ownership in the Modern Days
Investment firms are the owners of 17% of clubs in Europe’s biggest domestic league. You will find organisations from the US trying to buy popular teams.
However, football investors come from all corners of the world. Even countries like Dubai have businesses looking to get their hands on European teams.
The trend started back in 2007 with the purchase of Liverpool. Business people from Dubai attempted to buy Liverpool but lost to US buyers.
During the same period, the Glazer family in the US got an offer to sell Manchester United. However, the family did not want to give up their legacy.
Not all clubs stayed with their original owners. The Manchester City owner changed from Thailand’s prime minister to Abu Dhabi United Group for Development and Investment.
The group pumped $2 billion to improve training and facilities. It made the team the first state-backed agency to emerge as the winner in top competitions.
Today, the Fenway Sports Group is the Liverpool owner. It is a multinational sports holding company from the US.
The group also owns the Boston Red Sox in USA’s Major League Baseball. The change in hands has helped Liverpool clubs scale new heights.
Many businesses and rich folks from the Middle East own football teams. One such example is the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, headed by crown prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The fund has an 80% share in Newcastle United. The deal cost a whopping £300 million.
Rich individuals are another league that likes to stay associated with sports. Below is a list of the richest owners of top clubs:
- Arsenal – Stan Kroenke
- Juventus – Andrea Agnelli & family
- Paris Saint-Germain FC – Nasser Al-Khelaifi
- Inter Milan – Zhang Jindong
Do Investment Firms Control Football Clubs?
Funds are always helpful for the development of any sport. The new influx of money can help teams improve their training facilities and hire better coaches. They may be able to sign up top players to boost their chances of success.
However, companies make football investments in the hope of profitability. They like to earn returns for the money they put into a team and its players.
As a result, fans fear the new owners may end up controlling the clubs and making important decisions.
The fear is not removed from the truth. Companies bring in new executives who participate in the management of the teams.
Fortunately, most owners understand the responsibility they handle. Additionally, sometimes they rush in to save teams when they are about to go bankrupt.
We can take the example of FC Barcelona in Spain. It was about to go bankrupt with a debt of £250 million. Luckily, a group of investors and business leaders formed “The New FC Barcelona” to save the club.
We will find several such examples in the history of the game.
Final Thoughts
Teams change hands from time to time. Sometimes, the investment comes from individuals, while businesses turn up at other times. Investment funds own and control several teams and impact the decision-making process. However, they still believe in passion and respect the emotions of fans worldwide.
This is a submitted article
