Thomas Zilliacus is trying to buy Manchester United.
Manchester United’s home is the legendary Old Trafford. PDO
Finnish businessman Thomas Zilliacus made a buyout offer for soccer giant Manchester United on Wednesday. The man tells about it in a press release.
The offer was submitted in the name of the investment company XXI Century Capital. Zilliacus’ second company owns XXI Century Capital.
According to the businessman, the club’s current market value is just under 3.9 billion dollars, or about 3.6 billion euros.
– This means that if each of the club’s fans participated in buying the club, the total amount per fan would be less than six dollars, Zilliacus states in his announcement.
He would like the fans to own half of the club and his investment company to own half.
– My offer is based on equality with the fans. My group will finance half of the amount needed to take over the club and ask the fans to contribute the other half.
According to Zilliacus, a new company would be established for the fans, through which they would own half of the club.
– If every fan goes, it means less than three dollars per fan.
Fans belonging to the club’s ownership ladder would reportedly have access to an application that would allow them to participate and vote on the club’s affairs.
– No decisions will be made if the majority of fans do not support it, Zilliacus promises.
Zilliacus has worked in the sports world as the chairman of HJK and co-owner of the Jokers. He believes sports clubs should belong to the fans.
– The current development, where billionaire sheiks and oligarchs take over the clubs and control them in their own playgrounds, is not a healthy trend, Zilliacus sees.
Manchester United’s main owner is the American Glazer family, which has announced that the club is for sale.
the BBC according to Zilliacus, a billionaire is also interested in the club Jim Ratcliffe as well as the Qatari sheikh Hamad ibn Jassim Al Thani.
Thomas Zilliacus made an offer for Manchester United. Stock photo from 2010. Antti Puskala