The Black Cats chairman is not about to take an interest in another club
Sunderland owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus
Kyril Louis-Dreyfus(Image: Getty Images)
Sunderland chairman Kyril Louis-Dreyfus is not involved in the upcoming takeover of German club 1860 Munich, according to Swiss outlet Blick.
There has been much speculation linking the Swiss-French Black Cats majority shareholder but he is not said to be involved.
The German club confirmed over the weekend that investor Hasan Ismaik is stepping away from his role and selling his shares after 14 years of turmoil, financial instability, and fan unrest.
The news triggered widespread celebration among 1860 supporters, with scenes of jubilation outside the Grünwalder Stadion as fans lit fireworks and sang anti-Ismaik chants.
Just who will buy the club is not yet known and it is understood the investment group's only detail is that a “Swiss family holding company” will be taking control of the club.
This lack of transparency has led to intense speculation in both German and Swiss media about who is behind the scenes.
Among the names floated in the German press were car dealership empire Emil Frey Holding, the Mövenpick-aligned von Finck family, and the Louis-Dreyfus family, whose connections to football are well established.
Margarita Louis-Dreyfus and her late husband, Robert Louis-Dreyfus, previously owned Olympique Marseille.
Their son, Kyril, became chairman of Sunderland in 2021 and has helped guide the Black Cats from League One back to the Premier League.
However, Blick reports that there is “no evidence” that Kyril Louis-Dreyfus is involved in the Munich takeover.
The publication states this explicitly, noting that while his name has been mentioned in the same breath as the potential investors, he is not connected to the deal, nor is Emil Frey Holding, despite similar rumours.
An unveiling press conference in Munich was originally scheduled for last week but has since been postponed. Until then, the identity of 1860s new owners remains uncertain, but Blick’s report makes it clear that it won’t include the Black Cats’ billionaire chairman.
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