# Football Finance — Billionaire Ownerships · Football Level 9: Master

Football · Level 9: Master · Insporta Book (https://book.insporta.app/football/level-9/football-finance-billionaire-ownerships/)

Football Finance — Billionaire Ownerships in Football (Level 9: Master) on Insporta: 100 sourced facts behind 10 tests. Covers: abramovich's chelsea; and more.

The money behind modern football, in detail: Abramovich, Sheikh Mansour, QSI, the Glazers, PIF, Red Bull, multi-club groups, family owners, owners from China and the US, and the Super League and regulation.

## Test 1: Abramovich's Chelsea

- Bates had bought the club for £1 in 1982; Abramovich paid about £140 million including debts. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- He had built his wealth in the privatisations of the 1990s. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- Chelsea's first league title had come in 1955, under Ted Drake. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- Mourinho replaced Ranieri, who had been in charge when Abramovich bought the club. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- The club ran under a special government licence until the sale went through. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- The price was about £2.5 billion, with further investment promised. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- The money was held in a UK account while a foundation for Ukraine was set up. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- 2003, 2004, 2012 and 2021. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- 1982, 2003 and 2022. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- Chelsea won on penalties in Bayern's own stadium, with Drogba scoring the last kick. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)

## Test 2: Sheikh Mansour's City

- The former Thai prime minister had owned the club for a year. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- City paid Real Madrid £32.5 million on deadline day. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- Their last title had come in 1968. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- '93:20' is painted on the stadium to mark the moment. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- Soriano and Begiristain came from Barcelona as chief executive and director of football. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- CAS cut the penalty to a fine and found some charges time-barred. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- The City of Manchester Stadium took the name of Abu Dhabi's airline. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- 2008, 2012, 2020 and 2023. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- Swales from 1973, Shinawatra in 2007 and Mansour from 2008. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- He is a member of the Al Nahyan family and a vice-president of the UAE. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)

## Test 3: QSI and PSG

- It became sole owner in 2012. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- Al-Khelaifi also chairs beIN Media Group and the European Club Association. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- It was paid by triggering Neymar's release clause. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- The deal, worth €180 million, was structured to help with financial rules. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- He played the second half of the season and won the French league. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- They had lost the 2020 final to Bayern in Lisbon. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- He scored more than 150 goals in four seasons. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- 2012, 2017 and 2021. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- 2011, 2017, 2020 and 2025. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- The fund also bought a minority stake of about a fifth in the Portuguese club Braga in 2022. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)

## Test 4: The Glazers' buyout

- The NFL team won the Super Bowl under the family in 2003. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- Much of it was borrowed and the debt was moved onto the club. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- The campaign against the owners' debt used the colours of the club's first name. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- The protest followed United's role in the Super League plan. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- A listing in Singapore had been planned first and dropped. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- Woodward, a banker who had helped arrange the takeover, stepped down in 2022. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- His six children kept control of the club. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- 2005, 2010, 2012 and 2024. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- Gill to 2013, Woodward to 2022, Arnold to 2023 and Berrada from 2024. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- Ratcliffe's INEOS bought about a quarter of the club; Sheikh Jassim's full takeover bid failed. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)

## Test 5: PIF and Newcastle

- Ashley had owned the club since 2007; Staveley was part of the buying group. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- It was a fraction of what later takeovers of big clubs cost. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- The league also needed assurance that the Saudi state would not control the club. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- Al-Rumayyan is the governor of the Public Investment Fund. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- They beat Liverpool 2-1 at Wembley; their last domestic trophy had been the 1955 FA Cup, and their last major one of any kind the 1969 Fairs Cup. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- Howe replaced Steve Bruce and kept the club up before qualifying for Europe. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- They finished fourth in 2022-23, their first top-four finish in twenty years. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- 2007, 2021, 2023 and 2025. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- 2003, 2008 and 2021. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- The PIF holds 80% of the club and also owns several Saudi Pro League clubs. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)

## Test 6: Red Bull's clubs

- SSV Markranstädt's licence gave the new club a place in the fifth tier. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- The initials still match Red Bull's, which is what critics object to. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- Red Bull changed the club's colours and history, and the fans started again in the lower leagues. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- They play at the Red Bull Arena in New Jersey. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- They beat Freiburg on penalties in Berlin. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- His appointment surprised many at his old clubs Dortmund and Mainz. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- The club won promotion to Serie A that season and played on as Red Bull Bragantino from 2020. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- 2005, 2006, 2009 and 2019. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- 2009, 2014, 2016 and 2020. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- It became Red Bull Salzburg, now the dominant club in Austria. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)

## Test 7: Multi-club groups

- Players moved between the clubs, which were often cited by later groups as a model. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- Its failed bid for Everton was followed by the loss of several of its clubs. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- Several young Chelsea players have been sent to Strasbourg. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- Textor also held a large stake in Crystal Palace until 2025. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- INEOS also owns Lausanne-Sport in Switzerland. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- UEFA allowed both after changes to the ownership structure. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- Lyon ranked higher in the league and kept their Europa League place. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- 2012, 2013, 2023 and 2024. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- 2017, 2019 and 2024. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- Botafogo beat Atlético Mineiro in Buenos Aires and also won the Brazilian league that year. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)

## Test 8: Berlusconi, the Agnellis and family owners

- The players' presentation at the Arena Civica set the tone for a showman owner. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- He sold in 2017; Milan won five European Cups and eight league titles under him. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- Monza reached Serie A in 2022. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- Edoardo Agnelli became president in 1923. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- Angelo Moratti built the Grande Inter; his son Massimo won the 2010 treble. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- The board resigned together; Juventus were later docked points over transfer valuations. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- The Peugeot family founded the club in 1928 and sold it in 2015. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- 1923, the 1960s, 1986 and 2017. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- 1986, 2017, 2018 and 2022. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- The Chinese businessman defaulted on a loan a year later and the fund Elliott took control. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)

## Test 9: Owners from China and the United States

- Oaktree took over the club, which had won Serie A under Suning in 2021. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- The sale followed a court battle over the club's debts. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- The Red Sox had ended an 86-year wait for a World Series in 2004. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- He bought out Alisher Usmanov's stake. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- Fosun's links with the agent Jorge Mendes shaped the club's signings. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- RedBird had also bought Toulouse in 2020. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- Edens, co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks, and Sawiris rescued Villa from financial trouble. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- October 2010, June 2016, July 2016 and 2022. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- 1995, 2013, 2016 and 2024. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- Suning's Inter won the league in 2021 before the group lost the club. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)

## Test 10: Protests, the Super League and regulation

- Six from England, three from Spain and three from Italy. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- Fan protests outside Stamford Bridge and elsewhere helped end it. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- Agnelli was a vice-chairman; Pérez kept pushing the plan after others left. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- Juventus later left the project too. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- The court did not approve the Super League itself; it found UEFA's approval rules unfair. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- A22 proposed a new format with promotion and relegation. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- Crouch's 2021 review recommended an independent regulator, created by law in 2025. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- 18 April 2021, 20 April 2021, December 2023 and 2024. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- 2021, November 2021 and 2025. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)
- The European Court of Justice sits in Luxembourg; Strasbourg hosts the human rights court and Lausanne the Court of Arbitration for Sport. (Source: Club accounts and announcements; Premier League and UEFA statements; contemporary business reporting)

Sources: FIFA and UEFA official records / club records / contemporary match reports / published histories and biographies / audited club accounts

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