Qatar Sports Investments (QSI), owner of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), bought 21.67% of SAD from Sp. Braga, which has a share capital of six million euros. “It’s the right partnership” for the 1921-born Minho club to accelerate “growth and expansion” and “help realize its incredible potential as a club,” President António Salvador said. “It’s a great day for our club, for our fans and for our city; we look forward to the future successes of Sp. Braga”he emphasized.
The deal was notified to the Securities Market Commission (CMVM) yesterday, and the purchase of the shares of Olivedesportos, owned by businessman Joaquim Oliveira, will be completed in the coming months. However, the value of the investment has not been disclosed. “As an investor and partner, we expect the club to innovate, grow and develop even more – in the men’s and women’s teams, but also in all the communities where it operates and the companies it supports – as Sp. Braga continues to walk. an ambitious path,” said Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, chairman of QSI, in a statement, also highlighting the Portuguese club’s history, prestige, enormous ambition and excellent reputation.
According to the Minho emblem, which has established itself as the fourth largest in national football in the past decade, the purchase of about 22% of SAD “will not change the management” of SAD, “because the total decision-making autonomy through part of the management appointed with the support of the majority shareholder, Sp. Braga [clube]”.
In other words, it is an exchange of shareholders and not a sporting protocol. In practice, instead of Olivedesportos as a partner, the Minho people now have QSI, one of the most powerful organizations in world sports, headlined by Nasser Al-Khelaïfi. Having access to the Qatari group’s contacts and business network is one of the assets exploited by the club led by António Salvador, who has never hidden his desire to lead the warriors to the national title. Now you have room to invest until the peak of your dream. The announcement of the partnership had an immediate impact on SAD’s actions, with a rating of 20% On yesterday.
In terms of sports, there may be some conflicts of interest to be overcome when the two emblems cross in European competitions, as happened in the 2017-18 season with RB Leipzig and RB Salzburg, two of the five clubs in the Red Bull group. If this happens, UEFA could open an investigation to find out and decide the fate of both, as the rules prohibit an owner from having two clubs in the same league.
The multiclub fever
In addition to PSG, which it took over in 2011 and in which it has already invested 1.4 billion euros, QSI has also had an interest in the Belgian KAS Eupen since 2017.. Qatar Sports Investments’ strategy is to follow the lead of City Football Group, Manchester City’s parent company, which has interests in 11 clubs on five continents and has a payroll of more than 400 players.
Last year, according to a report by CIES – International Center for Sport Studies, there were 85 decals worldwide – 40 in Europe – linked together by 33 owners. These are the so-called multiclubs or sister clubs, which have grown by more than 100% in five years in the top five of European competitions.
In Portugal, there are several emblems that are already part of the group of so-called multiclubs, such as Estoril, Casa Pia, Vizela, Boavista, Santa Clara and Famalicão of the I Liga. For example, SAD do Famalicão (85%) is owned by Quantum Pacific Group, owned by Israeli millionaire Idan Ofer, one of the owners of Atlético de Madrid. The Boavista SAD is owned by Jogo Bonito Group Société à Responsabilité Limitée, a company owned by Luxembourg’s Gérard Lopez, who also owns Lille and Belgians Mouscron, which launched an OPA in January and took over 90% of the blocky company .
Last year, British group INEOS – owner of Nice, Lausanne and partner of Racing Club d’Abidjan – announced its intention to buy a club in Portugal and even identified some targets (Académica, Feirense, Mafra, Estoril, Desp. Academico de Viseu, Tondela and B SAD) but has not yet progressed. And a few days ago it became known that Chelsea’s new owner, American millionaire Todd Boehly, was planning to buy a Portuguese club with the help of businessman Jorge Mendes. , one of nine (out of 18) clubs in the I Liga, mostly private.
Source: DN
