European Soccer Adds Another American Investor

Another U.S. investment group has entered European soccer with ALK Capital’s purchase of English Premier League team Burnley.

Led by former Real Salt Lake CEO Alan Pace, ALK secured an 84% stake in the team last week.

The deal is believed to have cost ALK up to $270 million. Earlier this year, ALK invested in AiScout and Player LENS — London-based soccer technology companies.

Burnley is currently ranked 16th in the Premier League and in potential danger of being relegated to the second division. Pace says that he is ready to spend to help the club.

Premier League Clubs With American Majority Ownership

• Arsenal
• Crystal Palace
• Fulham
• Liverpool
• Manchester United

Leeds United and Aston Villa have American part-owners.

Actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney invested $2.6 million into Welsh soccer team Wrexham AFC in November. Their plans include growing the team’s popularity with “Hard Knocks”-esque media content.

Iowa-based Krause Group acquired 90% of Italy’s Parma Calcio 1913 in September in a deal reportedly valuing the team at more than $100 million. There are multiple American ownership groups in the Italian Serie A and the French Ligue 1.

Beyond teams, league media rights subsidiaries are ripe opportunities for investment firms. New companies handling media rights for Serie A, Spain’s La Liga and Germany’s Bundesliga have all solicited investment to help offset losses from the pandemic.