The LaLiga team Valencia CF (Spain) recently announced a new chapter in its history.
New Investment
‘VALENCIA C.F.’ stated that Kiat Lim, President of Valencia CF, and Pitchwise Holdings, a consortium of private family offices and long-term institutional investors led by the experienced sports executives Ann Rodriguez and Corey Woolfolk, have agreed to a partnership that will deliver new investment directly into the club alongside sporting and operational expertise.
New Ownership Group
The Pitchwise Holdings will also provide €100 million in new capital which will be immediately available for direct investment into the club. Pitchwise will ultimately hold a 42 percent stake in the club. Meriton Holdings will remain the Valencia CF’s majority shareholder and Kiat Lim will continue as the President as part of a new ownership group alongside Ann Rodriguez and Corey Woolfolk.
The Valencia CF or simply Valencia is a Spanish professional football club based in Valencia (Spain). The team currently competes in LaLiga, the highest tier of the Spanish league system.
The Mestalla Stadium is a football stadium in Valencia, Spain. The stadium is the home of the Valencia CF and has a capacity of 49,430 seats thus making it the eighth-largest stadium in Spain and the largest in the Valencian community.
Pitchwise Holdings is a consortium of private family offices and long-term institutional investors led by Ann Rodriguez and Corey Woolfolk, built for patient, values-driven ownership in football with respect for the local culture and identity.
Pitchwise Backers
‘VALENCIA C.F.’ further stated that Pitchwise’s backers include George Roberts, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Chairman of the global investment firm KKR, the Penner Sports Group and Henry Kravis, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Chairman of KKR.
The Penner Sports Group (PSG) is the family-owned sports and entertainment holding company founded by Greg and Carrie Penner in 2022 based in Denver, Colorado (US). The PSG’s holdings include the National Football League (NFL) team Denver Broncos and a minority stake in the Major League Baseball (MLB) team Colorado Rockies.
Minority Stake
Through the purchase of shares from Meriton Holdings (the private investment company of Singaporean billionaire Peter Lim) the Pitchwise Holdings will acquire a significant minority stake in Valencia CF. The transaction values Valencia CF at an enterprise value of €1.25 billion thus reflecting the full scope of the club’s assets, including the men’s and women’s teams, as well as the current 49,430-capacity seat Mestalla Stadium and the Nou Mestalla project set to be one of Europe’s largest stadiums seating over 70,000 fans.
The Nou Mestalla Stadium is a partially built football stadium in Valencia, Spain, intended as a replacement for Valencia’s current stadium, the Mestalla. The basic concrete structure of the stadium was built between August 2007 and February 2009 but work was then halted for financial reasons. Following multiple redesigns the final capacity will be 70,044 with construction work eventually resumed in January 2025.
Significant Milestone
The new ownership group will lead the top-flight through its most significant milestone in 100 years: The move to Nou Mestalla. This will give the city of Valencia – Spain’s third largest city – a stadium to match the club’s ambitions in a country set to co-host the FIFA World Cup™ in 2030.
The 2030 FIFA World Cup™ is scheduled to be the 24th FIFA World Cup™, the quadrennial international football tournament that is contested by the men’s national teams of the member associations of FIFA. The tournament is planned to be jointly hosted by Morocco, Portugal and Spain. In honor of the 100th anniversary of the first edition in 1930 a special match and celebration are scheduled to be held at the 60,235-capacity Estadio Centenario in Montevideo, Uruguay – host stadium of the 1930 final – as well as one match each in the 85,018-capacity Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the 32,000-capacity Estadio Osvaldo Domínguez Dibb in Asunción, Paraguay.
‘Entering New Era’
Commented Kiat Lim, President, Valencia CF, “There has been no shortage of interest in Valencia. The Pitchwise team was the only partnership I was keen to pursue. They bring long-term investment expertise and sports acumen and we have gotten to know each other very well. With Ann, Corey, George, and Pitchwise Holdings, I am confident that we are entering a new era and we can achieve great things for the Valencia CF. Together, we will build a modern club whose men’s and women’s teams compete consistently in Europe, whose academy produces world-class talent and whose new home at Nou Mestalla becomes a landmark for the city and the entire region of Valencia.”
‘Clear Investment Strategy’
Added Ann Rodriguez and Corey Woolfolk, General Partners, Pitchwise Holdings, “We’re honored to join Kiat in the stewardship of Valencia CF, one of the great institutions in Spanish football. Throughout this process we were able to visit Valencia numerous times and see first-hand just how special the region is. With its illustrious history, huge and passionate fanbase and a spectacular new stadium nearing completion the club has all the building blocks needed to be a leading club in Europe in both men’s and women’s football. However, we also know that the regulatory and competitive landscape of the modern game means that potential alone is not enough – it requires a clear investment strategy and focus. We can’t wait to work with everyone at the club, including the fans, to deliver just that.”
‘Bright Future’
On behalf of Pitchwise investors, George Roberts said, “We have gotten to know Kiat very well and believe that this new partnership and Valencia represents the most exciting opportunity in European football. We look forward to supporting Ann, Corey and Kiat as they take the Valencia CF into a bright future.”
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