Gareth Bale targets football club ownership as he teams up with US investment firm
Former Wales and Real Madrid superstar Gareth Bale has revealed his ambition to acquire a controlling stake in a football club.
The move is part of a new sports investment vehicle established with American private equity firm Juggernaut Capital Partners.
Speaking to Reuters, Bale confirmed that he and John Shulam, Juggernaut’s founder and managing partner, are actively “looking at which (club) is the right fit for us.”
The five-time Champions League winner, who retired after the 2022 World Cup, expressed his long-held desire for such an opportunity.
“It’s something that I’ve always kind of been on the lookout (for) but never quite had the right opportunity until obviously I met John,” Bale stated.
He believes his “inside athlete perspective” combined with Shulam’s financial expertise will forge “an amazing partnership.”
Shulam clarified their investment strategy, emphasising a preference for significant influence over minor shares in larger entities.
“What we do not want to do is have a tiny piece of some giant Premier League team, that’s not our strategy. We want to buy something where we can have the direct impact, where we be the controlling shareholder,” he explained.
While Cardiff City has been mentioned as a potential option, Bale noted it is “just one of many” clubs he could pursue in the near future.
Beyond football, Juggernaut’s sports platform intends to diversify its investments. Shulam outlined plans to invest in golf, youth sports, and, notably, women’s sports.
“We’ll invest in women’s sports, very importantly, and there has not been enough attention paid to women’s sport,” he said, adding that the firm would soon announce its first investment in a professional women’s team.
Bale is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in Welsh history, and he scored 40 goals in 111 appearances for his country.
Bale led Wales’ charge to the Euro 2016 semi-finals, and then helped them qualify for the 2022 World Cup, the first time Wales had reached the global event since 1958.
Wales were placed in the same group as the USA, Iran and England. Wales drew their opening match against the US, but lost to Iran and England as they crashed out at the group stage.
