Changing hands in the MLS. Bolivian businessman Marcelo Claure has acquired 10% of the Major League Soccer club New York City FCas confirmed by the franchise itself in a statement. The amount of the investment has not been disclosed.
In this way, the team owned by City Football Group rearranges its shareholder body: Claure will take 10%, the same amount held by Yankee Global Enterprises, which also owns the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB) and is a shareholder in AC Milan. Mansour bin Zayed’s conglomerate, meanwhile, holds 80%.
The deal not only includes a minority stake in the entire American football competition, but also gives it the right to part of the stadium that is being built and whose investment will be around 780 million dollars.
Khaldoon Al Mubarak, Chairman of City Football Group and New York City, said: “We have had the pleasure of working closely with Marcelo Claure on a number of City Football Group projects, and This investment reinforces its commitment to the group”.
The Bolivian businessman co-founded the Inter Miami FC franchise with David Beckham, which he left in 2021.
For his part, Claure said he was “delighted” to join the project in such an “exciting period for soccer in the United States.” “With the 2025 Club World Cup and the 2026 World Cup on the horizon, I think MLS has unmatched potential,” the manager added.
This is not the first time Claure has invested in an MLS franchiseThe businessman co-founded Inter Miami FC, a team owned by David Beckham and featuring players such as Leo Messi, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Luis Suárez. However, his time with the team pink It was cut short in 2021, with the entry of the Mas brothers into the shareholding.
For their part, the MLS clubs seem willing to allow venture capital funds into their governing bodiesIn fact, FC Cincinnati already confirmed its partnership with the Lead One fund in August.
The entry of venture capital funds into football is not a novelty. At the end of May, American fund Oaktree has acquired Inter Milan after its then owner, Steve Zhang, failed to repay the 395 million euro loan within the deadline marked.
