LUKA MODRIC TO BECOME MINORITY OWNER AT UNFASHIONABLE CHAMPIONSHIP CLUB
Luka Modric, the veteran Real Madrid and Croatia midfielder, has made a shock return to British football by becoming a co-owner of Championship side Swansea City.
The club have said Modric, who is still a regular for Madrid at the age of 39, will help them to “garner global attention” and develop on and off the pitch.
Modric described Swansea, who are currently 12th in the Championship, as an “exciting opportunity” and said he will use his experience in the game to help build the club.
The Croatian’s investment comes after Andy Coleman, Brett Cravatt, Nigel Morris and Jason Cohen purchased a majority stake in Swansea in November, bringing an end to the turbulent tenure of Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan.
“This is an exciting opportunity,” said Modric. “Swansea has a strong identity, an incredible fanbase, and the ambition to compete at the highest level. Playing at the highest level, I believe I can provide my experience to the club. My goal is to support the club’s growth in a positive way and to help to build an exciting future.”
Tom Gorringe, the Swansea chief executive, added: “There is no better role model in the game for our players, from the academy right through to the first team. His endorsement of our ambition and willingness to support us on our journey will be instrumental as we aim to continue to improve our results on and off the pitch.
“In our conversations, he has demonstrated his passion for the club, his knowledge of how we are performing, and a genuine passion to help us improve. I am really looking forward to working with him more closely to drive us forward.”
Modric’s contract at Madrid expires at the end of this season but he remains a crucial part of Carlo Ancelotti’s team. He started last week’s Champions League quarter-final first leg against Arsenal, for example, and is in contention to do so again for this week’s second leg as the Spanish side look to overturn a 3-0 deficit.
Overall this season, Modric has made 57 competitive appearances for his club and country. The 2018 Ballon d’Or winner has now played 186 matches for Croatia.
According to reports in Spain from earlier this year, Modric has made it clear that he wants to remain in Madrid as a player for at least one more season.
Modric spent four years in English football as a Tottenham Hotspur player from 2008 to 2012, before joining Madrid for around £30 million. During his time in the Premier League, he played twice against Swansea in the 2011/12 season, winning 3-1 at home and drawing 1-1 away.
From player to mogul – an investor XI
Kylian Mbappé
With a roughly £12 million investment of his own money via his ‘Interconnected Ventures’ company, Mbappé became a majority owner of Ligue 2 club Stade Malherbe Caen last summer. Relegated in 2019, they are at the bottom of the table and stare relegation to the Championnat National in the face. Perhaps unsurprisingly, supporters’ discontent has been manifested in the stands through signs reading “Mbappé, SMC is not your toy.”
N’Golo Kanté
Royal Excelsior Virton are fourth in the Belgian First Amateur Division, a semi-professional side in the third tier of Belgian football. Located in the province of Luxembourg and the subject of Kanté’s investment in 2023, the former Chelsea and current Al Ittihad midfielder is now the majority owner.
Wilfried Zaha
Zaha’s global club adventures since leaving Crystal Palace have seen him play in Turkey, France and now the United States, but he still has stakes in his home town of Croydon. The 32-year-old teamed up with rapper Stormzy in 2023 as co-chairman, alongside former Palace head of player care Danny Young, as owners of AFC Croydon Athletic. The side were promoted to the eighth tier of English football last year, and are currently mid-table.
Cesc Fabregas and Thierry Henry
Arsenal roots are firmly planted on the shores of Lake Como. Henry has a minority ownership, while Fàbregas features both on the shareholders’ board and in the dugout. The 2010 World Cup winner took over as head coach in August last year and his side are 13th and safe in Serie A with a host of recognisable names to boast in the squad: Pepe Reina, Dele Alli, Patrick Cutrone and Sergi Roberto all started on the bench last weekend.
David Beckham
After signing for LA Galaxy in 2007, Beckham’s assertion that he was “coming there to make a difference” seems, two decades on, not even to scratch the surface of his investment into MLS. While his initial discussions to buy a team in the Miami area emerged in 2013, MLS officially approved Inter Miami CF in 2018. The high-profile flock of ageing European stars, particularly from Catalunya, began arriving around 2020, culminating with Lionel Messi in 2023. It is understood the Argentine has stakes in the Miami club as part of his contract.
Eden Hazard and Demba Ba
The now-dissolved San Diego 1904 was initially acquired by Hazard, Ba and Yohan Cabaye in 2017. In 2021, it was absorbed by youth set-up Albion San Diego, who, after attempts to rebrand, have been on hiatus since.
Juan Mata
Perhaps hoping for better luck in San Diego, Mata joined the ownership group of San Diego FC in November last year, and was heralded by the club as “the first active international soccer player to hold an ownership stake in Major League Soccer”. The former Chelsea and Manchester United forward currently plays for Western Sydney Wanders in Australia. His new US side have joined the MLS this year as the 30th member of the league.
Ronaldo
One of the least successful takeovers, Ronaldo took over as president of Real Valladolid to much acclaim by supporters in 2018, before the relationship quickly turned sour. Despite an increase in revenue, they have slipped down the table each year, and are currently rock bottom of La Liga, 14 points adrift.
Didier Drogba
Another Premier League star who cast open his pursestrings across the pond, Drogba first acquired a stake in Phoenix Rising in 2017 when he signed as a player. Currently sitting in the second tier of the American leagues, Drogba forms part of a 10-man consortium that aims to take Phoenix into MLS.
The ‘Class of 92’
With a board famously made up of Gary Neville, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Phil Neville and David Beckham, Salford City were promoted to the Football League in 2019. Last year, Gary Neville acquired the remaining shares of long-time owner Peter Lim, leaving whole ownership to the ‘Class of ’92’ in what was described as a process that “simplifies the corporate structure”.
Paolo Maldini
On the other side of ‘The Magic City,’ Maldini owns 50 per cent of Miami FC, a second-tier side acquired by the former Italian captain in 2015. They beat the Beckham-owned Inter Miami II 1-0 in the US Open Cup this month.
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