Qatari sovereign fund sells minority stake in PSG to a US fund

The sovereign fund Qatar QSIwhat did he buy Paris Saint Germain (PSG) In 2011, he sold a minority stake in the club to the American investment company Arctos Sports Partners, which was valued with this operation at US$ 4.59 billion.

PSG announced the sale of that “minority participation” in a statement in which it did not give financial details, but sources close to the transaction indicated that Arctos Sports Partners retains 12.5% ​​of the capital.

“Arctos’ investment will serve to develop the operations of the PSG and support the club’s strategic real estate projects, especially those related to the stadium and the PSG sports city in Poissy, on the outskirts of Paris,” PSG noted.

Arctos Sports Partners is considered one of the largest investors in the professional sports business with more than thirty stakes in the NBAthe NHL, Formula 1 (Aston Martin team) or European football (Liverpool through the Fenway Sports Group conglomerate).

According to sources close to the operation, the Qatari fund will maintain the “complete control” of PSG despite that transfer.

These same sources indicated that the entry of Arctos will also serve to put on the table “a significant amount of money” which could undo the acquisition of the Parc des Princes, which the Paris City Council rents to PSG.

The town council of the French capital, whose mayor is the socialist Anne Hidalgo, considered “ridiculous” the purchase offer of US$ 41 million that PSG made.

QSI had acquired PSG in 2011 for US$75 million. Twelve years later, the club would be valued at 4,250 million with this operation.

In the note released by PSG, its president, Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, congratulated himself on the entry of Arctos. ““It is an outstanding partner that will help us achieve our objectives, offering strategic knowledge, ideas and innovation.”

Doc O’Connor, co-founder and associate director of Arctos Partners, explained that the purchase responds to the strategy of partnering “with the best teams in Europe and North America”and showed “his impatience” for starting to work with Al-Khelaïfi to help the club enter “in a next phase of development.”