Sport Republic
| Sports Investment Firm | |
| ISIN | 🆔 |
| Industry | Sports Sports services |
| Founded 📆 | |
| Founders 👔 | Rasmus Ankersen Henrik Kraft |
| Headquarters 🏙️ | London, United Kingdom |
Area served 🗺️ | |
Key people | Dragan Šolak |
| Members | |
Number of employees | |
| Subsidiaries | Southampton F.C. (80%) Göztepe S.K. (70%) Tonsser Sport Buff |
| 🌐 Website | Official website |
| 📇 Address | |
| 📞 telephone | |
Sport Republic is a London based sports investment firm founded by Rasmus Ankerson and Henrik Kraft and financed by lead investor Dragan Šolak.[1] The firm currently holds an 80% stake in the Premier League club Southampton.[2]
On 19 August 2022, Sport Republic acquired a 70% stake in Turkish club Göztepe, becoming the first foreign investor to buy a club in the Turkish football industry.[3]
Background
Sport Republic was set up by Rasmus Ankerson, who was previously director of football at Brentford, and Henrik Kraft, formerly a partner at private equity firm KKR.[4] Dragan Šolak was told about the plans to obtain stakes in football clubs, with Šolak agreeing and becoming a lead investor.[4]
United Group, the European media company founded by Šolak, had previously held the rights to screen Premier League matches in the Balkans but lost out on the latest rights to screen Premier League matches to Telekom Srbija.[5] Šolak has insisted that his decision to become a lead investor, and buy Southampton, was unconnected to losing the Premier League rights.[4]
Sport Republic owned clubs
Southampton F.C.
On 4 January 2022, it was announced that Sport Republic had bought Chinese businessman Gao Jisheng’s 80% stake in Southampton.[1] Despite buying Southampton, Sport Republic was keen to create a multi-club model similar to what City Football Group has achieved but to a smaller scale.[6] Southampton chief executive Martin Semmens said that the new ownership would allow the club to be more flexible in the transfer market but insisted a sensible, cautious approach will help the club in the long term.[7]
Sport Republic’s first summer transfer window during the 2022–23 season saw a number of new arrivals for Southampton, with the transfers putting faith in youth.[8] The window saw the arrivals of Gavin Bazunu, Mateusz Lis, Armel Bella-Kotchap, Roméo Lavia, Joe Aribo, Sékou Mara, Duje Ćaleta-Car, Samuel Edozie and Juan Larios on permanent transfers, whilst Ainsley Maitland-Niles joined on loan.[8][9][10]
The manager at the time, Ralph Hasenhuttl, called their efforts in the window 'phenomenal'.[11]
On 7 November 2022, Southampton announced it had parted company with Ralph Hasenhüttl.[12] At the time Southampton were in the Premier League relegation zone with 12 points after 14 games. [13] This was Sport Republic's first managerial sacking.
Göztepe S.K.
On 19 August 2022, it was announced that Sport Republic brought a 70% stake in Göztepe.[14] Ankerson, who is director at Southampton, was appointed chairman of the club.[15]
Levski Sofia
Since summer of 2022 Sport Republic watched out to buy the Bulgarian team Levski Sofia with having a principal agreement in mid-October.[16]
Other business ventures
Sport Republic have also acquired stakes in the football youth development app Tonsser[17] and sport streaming site Sport Buff.[18]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Serb mogul completes Saints takeover". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
- ↑ Reuters (2022-01-04). "Serbian billionaire-backed Sport Republic buys Southampton". Reuters. Retrieved 2022-05-16.
- ↑ "Sport Republic complete acquisition of Turkish club to add to Saints portfolio". Daily Echo. Retrieved 2022-08-20.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Walker, Shaun (27 January 2022). "Dragon's den: meeting Southampton's new billionaire owner". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
- ↑ Dunai, Marton (21 January 2022). "Southampton's new billionaire owner swaps one football battle for another". Financial Times. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
- ↑ Sheldon, Dan (15 April 2022). "One hundred days of Sport Republic at Southampton". The Athletic. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
- ↑ Low, Jonathan (15 February 2022). "Martin Semmens opens up on Sport Republic takeover and what next for Southampton transfer". Hampshire Live. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Warlow, Rob (24 June 2022). "Southampton's early summer transfer business offers sign of what is to come under Sport Republic". Hampshire Live. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
- ↑ "Southampton transfer news: Ainsley Maitland-Niles signed plus Caleta-Car and Man City duo". BBC Sport. 1 September 2022. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
- ↑ "Southampton: Transfers". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
- ↑ "Hasenhuttl reveals why Sport Republic are 'phenomenal' for finance and freedom". Daily Echo. Retrieved 2022-09-20.
- ↑ "Club statement: Ralph Hasenhüttl". Southampton FC. Archived from the original on 7 November 2022. Retrieved 2022-11-07.
- ↑ "Southampton sack manager Hasenhuttl after poor run". BBC Sport. 7 November 2022. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
- ↑ "Saints owners buy majority stake in Turkish club Goztepe S.K." BBC Sport. 19 August 2022. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
- ↑ "Southampton owners acquire 70 per cent stake in Turkish club Goztepe S.K." The Athletic. 19 August 2022. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
- ↑ "Юнайтед Груп" се договори с Васил Божков, сделката за Левски е все по-близо
- ↑ Sheldon, Dan. "Tonsser: An attempt to change the way young players are scouted through data". The Athletic. Retrieved 2022-05-16.
- ↑ "SPORT BUFF SECURES SIGNIFICANT SEED INVESTMENT". Sport Buff. Retrieved 2022-09-15.
External links
- About us Archived 9 December 2023 at the Wayback Machine at Sport Republic official website
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