From Sheikhs to the supporters: who owns Europe’s biggest football clubs?

Italy’s AS Roma are reportedly set to become the latest subject of a big money takeover

Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring for Juventus. Photograph: Chris Ricco/Getty

A group led by US billionaire Daniel Friedkin is in talks to buy AS Roma, although the Italian club have said a formal deal has not yet been agreed.

The Financial Times reported the deal would value AS Roma at €750 million, including debt.

Shares in AS Roma are listed on the stock market in Milan and the club is controlled by another group of American investors headed by James Pallotta.

AS Roma are reportedly set to be the subject of a big money takeover. Photograph: Paolo Bruno/Getty

Following are ownership structures of some of Europe’s leading football clubs:

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England

Manchester City: Part of City Football Group (CFG), majority owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, with Chinese investors led by media and entertainment group CMC Inc holding around 12 per cent and US private equity film Silver Lake just over 10 per cent.

Abu Dhabi United Group, the investment vehicle owned by Sheikh Mansour, retained majority ownership after Silver Lake agreed in November to pay $500 million for its stake, making CFG the world’s most valuable soccer group with a $4.8billion (€4.3bn) price tag.

The group’s investments also include New York City, who play in Major League Soccer, and Melbourne City, as well as stakes in Yokohama Marinos of Japan, Club Atletico Torque of Uruguay, Spain’s Girona, Sichuan Jiuniu of China and Mumbai City.

Manchester United: The American Glazer family acquired Manchester United for 790 million pounds ($1 billion) in 2005, in a leveraged buyout. Listed on the New York Stock Exchange since 2012 but the Glazers retain majority ownership of the 20-times English champions. They have a current market valuation of around $3.25 billion (€2.95bn).

Paul Pogba in action during Manchester United’s 4-1 win over Newcastle. Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA

Liverpool: The European champions and Premier League leaders have been owned since 2010 by the Fenway Sports Group after a £300 million deal. Fenway also owns the Boston Red Sox Major League Baseball team.

Arsenal: American billionaire and sports entrepreneur Stan Kroenke struck a deal to take full control of Arsenal in 2018 by buying out Russian rival Alisher Usmanov, valuing the Premier League club at around $2.3 billion (€2bn).

Chelsea: Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich bought the London club for a reported £140 million in 2003 and they have since become a major force in the European game.

Italy

Juventus: Listed on the stock market in Milan, the Agnelli family that founded the Fiat motor group remain the controlling shareholder at Juve, Italian champions for the past eight seasons.

Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring for Juventus. Photograph: Chris Ricco/Getty

Inter Milan: Chinese electronics retailer Suning Commerce Group Co Ltd bought nearly 70 per cent of Inter Milan for €270 million in 2016 in what was the highest-profile takeover of a European team by a Chinese firm.

AC Milan: US hedge fund Elliott Management last year assumed control of indebted AC Milan and injected €50 million to help stabilise the finances of the former European champions whose previous owners include former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi.

Germany

Bayern Munich: German champions are 75 per cent owned by their fans, with sportswear brand Adidas, carmaker Audi and insurer Allianz all having stakes of 8.33 per cent each.

Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena - the German champions are part-owned by the insurerance company. Photograph: Christof Stache/AFP/Getty

Spain

Real Madrid & Barcelona: The two Spanish clubs are owned by their fans through membership schemes. They regularly have the highest revenue of any European football clubs thanks to their commercial appeal.

France

Paris Saint Germain: Owned by Qatar Sports Investments - established by the son of the emir and heir to the Qatari throne Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani - which bought a 70 per cent stake in PSG in 2011.

The remaining 30 per cent was purchased from Colony Capital the following year, at a price that valued the entire club at €100 million.