It is expensive to own top tier football clubs. Managing multiple more clubs under the same franchise without going bankrupt or violating FIFA financial fair play rules is further demanding.
The football clubs are either owned by individuals, multinational companies and equity firms.
Team Kenya has compiled a list of clubs that own other clubs.
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Man city
Man City, owned by Abu Dhabi United Group, a private equity company, is part of the City Football group.
All the football clubs that fall under City Football are owned by Sheikh Mansour. Manchester City was the first club bought by Sheikh Mansour in 2008.
The football club is the city football group's main asset. The other clubs include New York City Fc which was acquired in 2012, Melbourne City and Yokohama Marinos bought in 2014, Girona Fc, Club Atletico Torque in 2017 and Mumbai FC in 2019
The controlling stake by the Abu Dhabi Group in the football clubs has allowed the clubs to become financially formidable in their respective leagues.
Leicester city
The football club was acquired by King Power International Group in 2010. The financial backing of King Power International Group allowed them to ascend to the top of the league and win the Premier League title, reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
Leicester City, through King Power international Group, acquired Leuven, a Belgium football team, in 2017.
Ajax
Holland’s champions have been remarkable in their performance in the Netherlands football league and the champions league.
The Netherlands team set up Ajax Cape Town, a subsidiary in South Africa, in 1999.
The South African club has been successful in having good homegrown players, however, it hasn't succeeded in getting its homegrown players to Ajax.
Salzburg
The Austrian club is owned by Redbull, an Austrian energy drink company, which is familiar with fans in motorsport and football.
The football team was acquired by Redbull in 2005 and renamed Red Bull Salzburg. Metrostars, an American football club, was acquired in 2005 and renamed New York Red Bulls. In 2007, São Paulo, a Brazilian football club was acquired.
SSV Markranstädt, a fifth division club, got four promotions in seven seasons and also attained the second position in the Bundesliga after the Red Bulls supported them financially.
Leipzig was not renamed like the other clubs owned by a Red Bull owing to the regulation in Germany that bans branding in club names. The RB in RB leipzig represent RasenBallsport.
Watford
The premier league club is owned by the Pozzo family, who also manage Udinese FC. The family once owned Granada, a Spanish club, but sold it in 2016.