Leeds announce EFL approval of the club’s takeover by 49ers Enterprises

Leeds have announced the EFL has approved the club’s takeover by American investment group 49ers Enterprises.

Chairman and majority shareholder Andrea Radrizzani agreed to sell his controlling stake last month and the deal, which valued the club at around £170million, has now been confirmed.

49ers Enterprises, which owns NFL franchise the San Francisco 49ers, has steadily increased its stake in Leeds since becoming a minority shareholder in 2018, while the deal includes full ownership of Elland Road.

#LUFC can announce that the EFL has approved the sale of the Club to 49ers Enterprises, paving the way for the immediate transition of ownership

— Leeds United (@LUFC) July 17, 2023

Paraag Marathe, previously vice-chairman, will take over as chairman, chief executive Angus Kinnear will remain in his current position and Rudy Cline-Thomas, founder and managing partner of venture capital firm MASTRY, will join the board as co-owner and vice-chairman.

Former Norwich boss Daniel Farke was appointed manager on a four-year deal earlier this month ahead of the coming season’s bid to secure an immediate return to the Premier League following relegation in May.

Marathe said in a Leeds statement: “This is an important moment for Leeds United and we are already hard at work.

“This transition is a necessary reset to chart a new course for the club. We have already appointed a highly-respected first-team manager with a track record of success, and we are confident Leeds will field a competitive squad to contend for promotion next season.

“It’s a privilege to carry this torch as I know we have a responsibility to ensure this club makes our staff, players, supporters and the Leeds and Yorkshire communities proud.”

Cline-Thomas said: “With my family hailing from Leeds, it’s an honour to be able to uplift this incredible community.

“This is more than just an opportunity, it’s a personal mission. The chance to reinvigorate the cherished Leeds culture, to create a platform that attracts the world’s finest players, and build a truly global brand that celebrates diversity, is a prospect that thrills me.”

49ers Enterprises increased its stake in Leeds to 44 per cent in 2021 with the option of buying Radrizzani’s remaining 56 per cent before January 2024.

The Americans had been keen to push through a full takeover this summer, but that agreement, which had valued Leeds at around £400million, was contingent on the club remaining in the Premier League.

Leeds’ relegation forced both parties back into intense negotiations and a valuation of close to £170m was agreed.

The deal marks the end of a six-year ownership of Leeds for Radrizzani, who said: “It has been an honour to guide Leeds United…and to spend so much time with the best fan base in the world.

“49ers Enterprises have been fantastic partners for years and I’m confident they will take Leeds to the next level.”

Radrizzani completed a full takeover from fellow Italian Massimo Cellino in 2017 and was initially hugely popular.

He bought back Elland Road stadium, which had been in private ownership since 2004, and brought in fresh investment when 49ers Enterprises purchased its first 10 per cent stake in 2018.

The appointment of Marcelo Bielsa soon after proved a masterstroke as Leeds won promotion back to the Premier League for the first time in 16 years.

But Radrizzani’s relationship with the Leeds fan base began to sour when Bielsa was sacked in February 2022.

Leeds escaped relegation on the final day of the 2021-22 season and Radrizzani promised that the club would not be involved in another survival fight.

But results this past season failed to improve under three different managers. Jesse Marsch and Javi Gracia were both sacked, while Sam Allardyce left after his four-game rescue mission ended in failure.

When relegation was confirmed with a final-day defeat to Tottenham, Radrizzani was absent from Elland Road, opting instead to remain in Italy to finalise his takeover of Sampdoria.

He later admitted Leeds’ board had made mistakes and apologised for the club’s relegation in a personal statement posted on social media.

But after it emerged he had offered to use Elland Road as collateral when securing a £26m bank loan to buy Sampdoria – one of his companies and not Leeds owned the stadium – his legacy was further tainted.