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Football has moved from being a sport for the people to becoming an attractive option for companies seeking investment and publicity thanks to the rise in the concept of sportainment. This evolution has led to a radical change in the ownership and management dynamics of clubs in recent years.
In football's financial ecosystem, words such as 'multi-ownership' are increasingly being heard. In this article we explore in depth the characteristics of this new model of sports management.
If you are interested in learning about the legal aspects that govern the world of sport, the master in Sports Law at Universidad Europea offers you specialised training. You will learn about the different legal aspects of professional and amateur sport, including those related to multi-ownership.
The concept of multi-ownership is used in modern football to describe companies or organisations that own several teams in different parts of the world.
Multi-ownership also allows for the sharing of a common philosophy in player development and facilitates the movement of players between teams. This model builds a business organisational structure and provides better salary guarantees within the sporting environment.
Driven by the globalisation of the beautiful game, football multi-ownership has gained popularity in recent decades. Many investors now see it as an opportunity to diversify, share resources and increase their influence in different markets.
Leading this trend are groups such as Red Bull and City Football Group, pioneers in facilitating the first transfers and collaborations between teams under their leadership.
Red Bull, a brand known for its sponsorship of extreme sports and its success in Formula 1, was a pioneer in this field. It began by buying several football clubs such as Red Bull Salzburg and RB Leipzig, which it turned into competitive teams in their respective leagues. Today it has four teams and its talent scouting system has been key to the discovery of stars such as Erling Haaland and Sadio Mané.
The City Football Group's story begins with the acquisition of Manchester City in 2008 by the Abu Dhabi United Group. Thanks to the financial backing of the United Arab Emirates, the team was transformed into a powerful football club. Since then, City has established itself as one of the best teams in the world. Today, it has 12 teams on different continents and stands out as one of the most important players in global football.
In recent years, another group has experienced rapid growth in the area of timeshare: 777 Partners. The group specialises in the insurance, aviation, media and entertainment sectors. In recent years, its foray into the world of sports has been highlighted by the purchase of a large number of historic football clubs in Brazil, Belgium or Italy at very low prices.
Multi-ownership in football is a subject of ongoing debate within the current sports industry.
Those who support its benefits do so for reasons such as access to greater economic resources, more financial stability and greater brand recognition. They also cite other advantages such as the effectiveness of shared scouting networks or the exchange of sport and business management knowledge and practices.
In contrast, conflicts of interest between teams of the same multi-owner are cited as the main disadvantage of this system. Other possible disadvantages include:
Training in sports law is essential to understand the complex regulations related to multiple ownership in football. Sports lawyers can provide legal advice and resolve the complex issues arising from this new model and the conflicts of interest it can present.
Bodies such as UEFA and national federations are currently keeping a close eye on this practice. Their regulations seek to ensure integrity, transparency and fair competition, and set out all the necessary restrictions with regard to timesharing.
Professionals trained in Master's degrees in Sport, such as the Master in Sport Law at the European University, can ensure compliance with applicable ethical and legal regulations. These qualifications are increasingly in demand in the context of new ownership models in football.