A venture capital arm of the San Francisco 49ers has reportedly come to an agreement on the purchase of the English Premier League club Leeds United.
Leeds United has been a mess for quite some time. The club’s fans have endured several relegations, multiple managers, and a few changes in owners over the years. However, there was hope for the side when they were promoted back into the English Premier League in 2020.
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However, while they had a solid start in their return to one of the top soccer leagues in Europe, their horrid defense led to far more losses than victories. In 2020-21 they finished ninth in the EPL table, and they have only fallen since then to their current slot at 19 in the 2022-2023 season.
The poor play in recent years opened the door for club owners Aser Ventures to seek out some financial assistance to try and make Leeds United a competitive team in the EPL. In 2021, Aser came to terms on a sale of 49% of the club to San Francisco 49ers Enterprises. A venture capital firm owned by the NFL franchise. Well, on Friday it was revealed that the San Francisco 49ers will take over complete ownership of the team.
What is San Francisco 49ers Enterprises? A corporate venture capital arm of the NFL franchise
Popular European soccer reporter Fabrizio Romano broke the news today that 49ers Enterprises and Aser Ventures had reached an agreement to purchase the club.
“Both parties continue to work through the details, and further updates will be provided soon,” a statement from Leeds United claimed.
Americans and owners of popular United States sports teams buying European soccer clubs is nothing new. The owners of the Boston Red Sox owned Liverpool before putting the team up for sale last year, and Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly was part of a consortium that purchased Chelsea in September.