Saudi Arabia eye major Atlético project pie

Image: Atletico Madrid

The LaLiga team Atlético Madrid (Spain) might not be up for sale but the top-flight’s head honcho Miguel Ángel Gil Marín is in talks to sell part of the club to the foreign investors.

Saudi Arabia has evinced keen interest in the top-notch’s Atlético Sports City project and is ready to hold talks for a major stake in the club.

‘Football ESPANA’ stated that the ‘Los Rojiblancos’ are looking for investment into their urban project (Sports City project) on the land around their home ground – the Riyadh Air Metropolitano in Madrid, Spain – which could open the door to further deals.

The Atlético Madrid or simply Atlético is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid (Spain) that plays in the LaLiga, the highest level of the Spanish football league system. The club play their home games at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano which has a capacity of 70,692.

‘Football ESPANA’ further stated that news broke recently that the US investment group Apollo Global Management were in talks with the Atlético to buy into the club with Gil Marín, the President of Atlético, Enrique Cerezo Torres, and the Ares Management diluting their shares. As things stand, the Atletico HoldCo (the majority shareholder of Club Atlético) currently owns 70 percent of the club while the Quantum Pacific own 28 percent. The idea would be to dilute the Ares Management’s 34 percent share in the Atleti HoldCompany as well as Cerezo’s 15 percent while leaving Gil Marín as the majority shareholder and thus still the main decision-maker.

New York (US)-based Apollo Global Management is a high-growth, global alternative Asset Manager. In its asset management business they seek to provide their clients excess return at every point along the risk-reward spectrum from investment grade credit to private equity.

Los Angeles (US)-based Ares Management Corporation is a leading global alternative investment manager offering clients complementary primary and secondary investment solutions across the credit, private equity, real estate, and infrastructure asset classes.

London (UK)-based the Quantum Pacific Group is an international assemblage of growth-oriented businesses with interests across a broad range of industries and geographies.
 

Saudi Arabia Open Door to Multibillion Investments

The number mentioned for the above deal was a potential €2.5b investment from Apollo. Saudi Arabia has communicated their interest in a potential deal and a willingness to negotiate for a major stake in the club.

The Middle Eastern oil power is already linked to ‘Los Rojiblancos’ through sponsorship with Riyadh Air (a new, premium international airline based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia set to launch commercial operations in the fourth quarter of 2025), currently the main shirt sponsor for the club as well as their stadium sponsor. Riyadh Air is finally expected to start operation as an airline after two years of advertising on the Atletico shirt at some point this year.
 

Development of Atlético Sports City

The development of the Atlético Sports City could be the impetus for changes in the ownership. Already, the Atlético are constructing a watersports venue and beach next to the stadium and have just secured planning permission for a 20,000-capacity concert venue. The plans are for a sports complex and training facilities to be built.

‘Los Rojiblancos’ will front €120m of the cost and will receive €120m from the private equity firm CVC Capital Partners deal toward the budget. However, they are still seeking a further €500m in investment to complete their plans and are seeking to get that money in before this Autumn. Both Apollo and Saudi Arabia could invest in that project too.

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