Globalisation may be disappearing in other spheres of economic activity as protectionist barries are raised, but the spread of the multi-club model suggests that it is alive and well in football (soccer). Liverpool are the latest club to jump on board.
Ever since the appointment of Michael Edwards as chief executive of football at Fenway Sports Group (FSG) in March 2024, it has been clear the multi-club ownership model is coming to Anfield.
Edwards, Liverpool’s former sporting director, returned to the FSG fold with the belief that the club has little choice but to expand if it is to “remain competitive” in the Premier League and beyond. The key to that is an ambitious plan to invest in a partner club.
FSG’s multi-club plans mean falling in line with the Premier League crowd, effectively. Well over half of the 20 teams in the English top flight now have relationships with at least one other European club and the pattern has been extended in the past two years.
Liverpool had previously resisted the trend set by Manchester City’s ownership, who have amassed 13 teams around the globe under the City Football Group (CFG) banner — including Girona in Spain, Palermo in Italy and New York City in the U.S. – but there is an acceptance that the advantages of a multi-club model cannot be overlooked.
On Saturday, The Athletic reported that FSG is exploring a deal to purchase Spanish second-tier side Malaga. FSG’s immediate focus is on the stake of majority shareholder Sheikh Abdullah Al Thani.Malaga are 49 per cent owned by Spanish hotel and real estate group Blue Bay, while Qatari businessman Al Thani owns the other 51 per cent. The club currently find themselves in administration and under judicial control.
The group believes this is an opportunity to restore Malaga to the upper echelons of the Spanish and European game.Malaga reached the Champions League quarter-finals in 2013 but five years later were relegated from La Liga and have yet to return.
Earlier this week, Paris Saint-Germain’s owners Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) confirmed to The Athletic that the group is interested in adding Malaga to their portfolio, with a spokesperson saying: “QSI is exploring a range of investment opportunities across Europe and America currently”.
Since FSG pulled out of talks to buy troubled French outfit Bordeaux last July, there’s been an extensive audit of suitable alternatives with clubs across Europe analysed from financial, technical and geographical standpoints.
Since post-Brexit regulations came into force in 2021, English clubs are no longer able to sign players under the age of 18 from overseas. Owning a club in a country which is still a member of the European Union can help to circumvent those rules, as players can be based there until they reach adulthood.
For older players initially ineligible to get a work permit to play in the UK, placing them at another club can also be beneficial in terms of building up their qualification criteria.
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