PSG Owner Adds SC Braga to Soccer Lineup

The trend of owning multiple soccer clubs continues.

Paris Saint-Germain owner Qatar Sports Investments has entered an agreement to purchase a nearly 22% stake in Portugal’s SC Braga — the state-backed fund’s second soccer venture.

Qatar Sports Investments will reportedly pay roughly $18.4 million for the stake acquisition, which is expected to close in the coming months. Bloomberg reported that the price tag implies a valuation of $88 million, based on an expected media rights increase.

• Qatar Sports Investments is interested in SC Braga’s potential for growth, according to the Financial Times. 
• The club is currently third in Portugal’s top division.

Qatar Sports Investments acquired a majority stake in PSG in 2011 for roughly $67.9 million and backs the Premier Padel tour. In 2019, it held discussions for a minority stake in Leeds United.

Multi-Club Movement

The fund joins a growing list of multi-club owners. Deloitte previously reported that there are over 70 multi-club groups operating — more than double from five years ago.

Abu Dhabi-backed City Football Group has full or part ownership in 12 clubs including Manchester City and New York City FC. RedBird Capital completed its acquisition of AC Milan for $1.2 billion in August and also owns Toulouse FC.

Chelsea FC owner Todd Boehly recently said he was interested in creating a multi-club group. Boehly led a consortium that purchased the club for $5.2 billion in May.