There have been a number of novel ownership situations in Spain in the 21st century, and after a US conglomerate invested in Real Mallorca, a California-based company is looking to do the same. Only without any of their own money.
Based in the famous tech-hub of Silicon Valley, f2o Sports are looking to invest in a club exclusively by crowdfunding the money. Their idea is that a global fanbase invest in a club, and have a say in how the club is run, in a model they are calling ‘Fan to Owner’. Their target market is Spain, and according to Diario AS, they have already raised €50k.
“We give fans around the world the opportunity to become club owners in Spain and participate in the sports industry like never before. We want to ensure that fans have a voice in decisions and access to content that was previously reserved for only a few. All this, while they monetise the shares they buy.”
“There are very few places in the world that mix culture with the love of sport like Spain does. Invest in f2o Sports and become the owner of your favourite sports team. Make real decisions and experience the thrill of shaping the future of sports ownership.”
La Liga side Granada are one of the candidates, along with Fuenlabrada, Sabadell and Talavera. Granada are the largest club by some distance, with Sabadell and Fuenlabrada competing in the third tier, and Talavera in the fourth. All three are near major cities, with Sabadell less than an hour by train to Barcelona, Fuenlabrada on the outskirts of Madrid, and Talavera not much further, in the old capital of Toledo.
“In August our founders were in Spain visiting the Granada, Fuenlabrada, Sabadell and Talavera clubs. They were able to witness in person how these clubs operate and in turn perceive the vision of fan ownership and the digitalisation of sport on a global scale. We are going to make some people in the current football business feel uncomfortable, but monumental changes always do.”
It seems highly unlikely they would find the financing to take over Granada, although their value will drop if they are relegated to Segunda. Los Nazaries were nearly sold in the summer, which does suggest that their owners could be open to a deal.
The model is not entirely new – Real Madrid, Barcelona and Athletic Club are all owned by their fans, and take decisions on the team. That said, the democratic processes involved have become obscured, and the power tends to lie with a wealthy few. Barcelona and Real Madrid members have little say in the day-to-day running of the side, whereas f2o Sports appear to be keen to empower fans in exchange for their money.
