Investment fund Sport Republic, led by Serbian businessman Dragan Solak, bought Southampton from the Premier League for more than $ 135 million, This was confirmed by the English team through a statement on social networks.
Sport Republic acquired the shares from the Gao family, who owned 80% of the team’s shares. Similarly, businesswoman Katharina Liebherr remains a minority shareholder.
“At Sport Republic they are experienced investors, but they also have experience in the world of elite professional sports. That is a very difficult combination to find, and we are delighted to have reached an agreement that secures our future in the short and long term, “said Martin Semmens, CEO of the British team.
The 57-year-old Solak said that together with Sport Republic he seeks to bring something new to the market and that is what this long-term deal with Southampton is for, a team that “has all the qualities they were looking for”.
“Southampton has many qualities that we have looked for in a major sports organization. It has a great team of coaches, good talent development, attractive teams playing soccer, and a dedicated fan base. We are proud to complete this acquisition as the first step in our investment strategy. Southampton will be the mainstay of the organization we plan to build, ”Solak said.
Sport Republic is a London-based investment firm in the sports and entertainment industry. Founded by Henrik Kraft and Rasmus Ankersen and backed by lead investor Dragan Šolak.
Dragan Šolak is the main investor in Sport Republic. He is also the Founder and Chairman of the United Group Advisory Board. Under the leadership of Šolak, United Group has grown from a greenfield investment in a cable operator in Central Serbia to becoming a leader in Southeast Europe in the telecommunications and media sectors.
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