London-based investment firm Sport Republic, backed by Serbian billionaire Dragan Šolak, has purchased a controlling stake in Southampton FC, the club confirmed.
The group reportedly purchased the stake for $135 million from Chinese businessman Gao Jisheng, who has owned it since 2017.
The club spent the last two years searching for new majority ownership, CEO Martin Semmens said in a statement.
“Sport Republic gives us the power to improve our operations at every level, helping us to reach for the success our staff work so hard for and our fans crave.”
Minority owner Katharina Liebherr will maintain her stake in the club.
New Owners’ Resume
Co-founded by soccer executive Rasmus Ankersen and technology investor Henrik Kraft, Sport Republic is focused on bringing data analytics to “sports businesses and sports technology companies,” the club said.
It currently only has one more investment listed on its website: a soccer community app called Tonsser.
The group’s lead investor, Šolak, is also the founder and chairman of the advisory board of United Group, a telecommunications giant in Southeast Europe.
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