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Private equity has stakes in more than a third of Europe’s top football clubs

Deal value in Europe’s 'Big Five' football leagues has ballooned over the past five years

Clearlake Capital's Behdad Eghbali, co-owner of Chelsea, and Todd Boehly, chair of Chelsea, join forces at Stamford Bridge
Clearlake Capital's Behdad Eghbali, co-owner of Chelsea, and Todd Boehly, chair of Chelsea, join forces at Stamford Bridge Photo: Clive Rose/Getty Images

The private markets industry has acquired ownership stakes in more than a third of all of Europe’s top football clubs, according to a new report that sheds light on how buyout bosses have been quietly muscling in on the world’s most popular sport.

Across the top leagues in Europe’s ‘Big Five’ countries — England, Spain, Italy, France and Germany — some 35.7% of clubs now have private equity, venture capital or private debt investors at the club-ownership level.

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