34
INVESTMENT
49ERS READY TO HELP LEEDS BECOME GLOBAL FORCE The San Francisco 49ers are exploring the possibility of increasing their stake in newly promoted Premier League side, Leeds United, according to the franchises executive Paraag Marathe. The National Football League (NFL) side already own a 10 per cent stake in Leeds United, through 49ers Enterprises, but are now looking to further this by making the side “more of a global force” both on and off the pitch.
In 2018, 49ers Enterprises, the investment entity behind American football giants San Francisco 49ers entered a partnership with Leeds United, with the intention to give the club access to San Francisco’s ‘rich source of business and sporting expertise’. With funds invested in the collaboration being used to improve results on the pitch and the Yorkshire club will need more investment to remain competitive following their promotion. The relationship between the two sporting entities has a been positive one since its inception in 2018, where Marathe joined Leeds’ board of directors after the purchase and has remained in frequent contact with majority owner Andrea Radrizzani, the clubs ISSUE TWELVE ★ SEPTEMBER 2020
director of football Victor Orta, and the chief executive Angus Kinnear. It has been said that the partnership has seen the US based franchise provide strategic advice for improving the fan experience at Elland Road, help in developing the new training ground as well as increasing club revenues. It was also the 49ers who envisioned the traits an ideal head coach should
possess, which is information they shared with Leeds United prior to them finding and hiring Marcelo Bielsa. Leeds now find themselves in the top flight of English football for the first time since 2004 and will study every avenue to ensure that they do all that they can to remain in the league, which could mean Radrizzani selling more of his stake in the club to 49ers Enterprises. “We’re exploring the possibility of maybe becoming even bigger partners. It is something that we’re open to,” states Marathe. “Hopefully it works out if he’s [Radrizzani] looking for more and we’re open to more than maybe we should try something. “The path and the story is only beginning, it’s not the last chapter, it’s now only the second chapter in a much longer book. “Now it’s about proving that we belong and trying to climb the ranks within the Premier League so there is a lot more to do. It’s directly correlated with how much we can grow
