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Analysis
5 min read

30 years of M&A in football (Part I)

The buying and selling of clubs has become a major part of the football narrative. In the first of three posts, we review changes of ownership in the Big 5 since 1991.

  • 12 transactions involving in a change of ownership took place each of the last 30 years
  • 63% of share ownership changes took place at clubs in England or Italy
  • Italy’s Serie A did not attract its first foreign investor until 2011

As Covid-19 continues to raise questions on the future of the sports industry, football’s potential for investor value creation is again being challenged and the risks associated with owning a stake are front-and-centre once more.

In this context the M&A rumour-mill has been running at fever pitch in recent weeks, as some owners are believed to be looking for an exit while prospective investors look for potential bargains amongst clubs in distressed positions. Recent ownership changes at Serie A’s AS Roma and Parma Calcio 1913 may only be the start of a busy period for football M&A.