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Football

US family ambitions for UK icons Sainsbury's and Wembley Stadium

May 4, 2018

United States based family businesses have sent shockwaves around the United Kingdom with separate plans for a $10 billion supermarket merger and an $800 million bid for the national stadium.

United States-based family businesses have sent shockwaves around the United Kingdom with separate plans for a $10 billion supermarket merger and an $800 million bid for the national stadium.

Retail giant Walmart, owned by the Walton family, announced on Monday its “combination” of its UK subsidiary Asda with rival chain Sainsbury’s to create the country’s largest grocer by market share.

A sporting chance

February 7, 2013

Owning a huge sports brand like Manchester United or the New York Yankees might make more economic sense than popular perception suggests, but don’t expect to make much money out of it.

On a freezing night at the end of November, Chelsea was taking on Manchester City in a cup game. After exactly 16 minutes, a round of applause rang around the stadium from the Chelsea fans. For those in the know, it was a sign – a sign of loyalty to the former manager Roberto Di Matteo, a legendary Chelsea player who wore the number 16 shirt and who was recently sacked.

Moratti family to reduce stake in Inter Milan football club

August 3, 2012

The Moratti family, which owns more than 95% of Inter Milan – one of Italy’s most famous football clubs – is to sell some of its stake to a group of Chinese investors. But unlike other football club-owning families that have recently made headlines, the Morattis aren’t selling to clear off debts.

A statement this week by Internazionale Holding, the football club’s parent, said: “The Moratti family will keep control of the company while the group of Chinese investors will become the second largest shareholder.”

Berlusconi takes back AC Milan presidency

December 1, 2011

Silvio Berlusconi likes to be in charge, if his attempts to hold on to the Italian premier role is anything to go by. So, it comes as little surprise then that only a few weeks after he resigned as Italy’s prime minister, he announced he will return to the helm of AC Milan, the football team that forms part of his family business empire, alongside publishing house Mondadori and private television network Mediaset.

Billionaires betting on football

May 6, 2011

What is it about family business leaders and football? They love the sport and are also prepared to lose millions on the game.

Football in the UK attracts investment from prominent figures, many of them linked to family businesses including steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal and Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Mansour. In Italy families back some of the largest clubs; the Agnellis finance Juventas and the Moratti family are behind Inter to name just a few.

Sensi family to sell football club

April 8, 2011

Italy’s Sensi family, majority owners of Italpetroli, have reached an agreement to sell football club AS Roma to American tycoon Thomas DiBenedetto, in a further attempt to decrease debts at the family business.

DiBenedetto will acquire a 60% stake in the Italian football club, while UniCredit bank, which last year became co-owner of the club following a debt-for-equity swap with the Sensi family, will retain 40% control. The bank also currently holds a 49% stake in Italpetroli following unpaid debts amassed by the Sensi family.