49ers ready to help Leeds United

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 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

the commercial side of the business in terms of how much more we can afford on the pitch.”

Marathe added that he sees the different global markets that the Premier League are able to operate in as the way to grow the club further.

“One fantastic thing about the way the Premier League or the [English Football League] works is that the club controls and owns its brand globally.

“That is different from American sports with the 49ers where we only really control the brand within our local market and anything outside of the market, the NFL, as a whole, controls all 32 logos.

“This provides a huge opportunity for clubs like Leeds, as Manchester United has already demonstrated, that they can do things in Asia and South America. That is something I’m excited to see if we can help Leeds really become more of a global force.”

On a zoom press conference, Radrizzani said that the 49ers “have done a good deal investing in the club with me because they see their investment already worth probably 3.5 times higher in terms of value of what they put in.

“They are obviously good friends, a good partner and I think they could bring more value in the management of the club in the Premier League than what has been done until now.

“I expect them to help us more, step up and potentially in the future years in the Premier League in club management, particularly the stadium and merchandise.”

With a stake in the club already, 49ers Enterprises are reported to be interested in a potential takeover. At the time of the original partnership a full takeover was not on the cards, but things have now changed. It is understood that Radrizzani included an option for 49ers Enterprises as part of their deal and the Americans are ready to push through a full takeover.

Leeds have also been connected with investment from Qatar Sports investments (QSI), which own French football team Paris Saint-Germain.

Radrizzani spoke in the zoom call that he was in talks with QSI but no concrete negotiations were discussed. “We have a very good friendship,” he said. “We have been talking, but to be honest we haven’t reached any concrete point of any negotiation.

“But we are really good friends and if they want seriously to come, they can always find my door open for a discussion, but at this moment there’s nothing.”

Radrizzani has given Leeds back a solid foundation and in 2017 brought Elland Road back under the club’s control for the first time since 2004 when it was sold off and leased back during a period of financial crisis following Premier League relegation.

The Italian businessman is believed to have paid around £20 million to buy it back soon after taking control but could be ready to cash in on his 90 per cent stake in Leeds as the club seeks to take the next step. Now that they are at last back in the top-flight – a return to the Champions League is already being targeted as the club also looks to tie down manager Marcelo Bielsa.

Radrizzani, who is thought to have paid £45m to buy Leeds from former Cellino – but then invested heavily thereafter – stands to pocket around £250m for selling his 90 per cent stake.