Serbian Billionaire Acquires 80 Percent Shares Of Southampton For Rp1.9 Trillion

JAKARTA - Investment company Sport Republic backed by Serbian billionaire Dragan Solak has completed the acquisition of an 80 percent stake in Southampton.

Solak, who owns telecommunications firm United Group, acquired Southampton in a £100 million deal from Chinese businessman Gao Jisheng who bought an 80 percent stake in the club in August 2017.

"Over the past two years, together with our club's shareholders, we have been looking for the right partner to advance this club. Today we have found the perfect solution for our club," said Southampton CEO Martin Semmens as quoted by Antara, Wednesday, December 5th.

"Sport Republic is a seasoned investor, but also experienced in the world of elite professional sports. That mix is very hard to find, and we are delighted to have reached an agreement that secures our short-term and long-term future."

Katharina Liebherr, who inherited The Saints from her late father Markus in 2010 when the club was still in the third division League One, will continue to retain her 20 percent stake.

Sport Republic is a London-based company engaged in the sports and entertainment industry whose majority shares are owned by Solak. The company's portfolio includes Tonsser which is a soccer app designed for young players to improve their performance.

"Southampton has many of the qualities we look for in a major sporting organization. This club has a great management team, great talent development, a talented team playing attractive football, and a loyal fan base," said Solak.

The acquisition is the third major investment in a Premier League club in as few months after Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky acquired a stake in West Ham United in November and a Saudi-backed consortium bought Newcastle United in October.

Southampton are 14th in the league standings with 21 points from 19 games. They travel to second division Swansea City in the FA Cup third round this weekend.