Apollo Sports Capital Acquires Majority Stake in Atlético de Madrid

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Image credit: Marta Fernandez Jimenez / Shutterstock.com

Atlético de Madrid and its principal shareholders Miguel Ángel Gil, Enrique Cerezo, Quantum Pacific Group, and Ares Management funds confirmed an agreement for Apollo Sports Capital (ASC), Apollo’s global sports investment platform (NYSE: APO), to acquire a majority stake in the Club.

The shareholder group plans to inject additional capital to advance the Club’s long-term strategy, with a focus on strengthening Atlético de Madrid’s teams and developing key infrastructure projects. Among these is Ciudad del Deporte, a state-of-the-art sports and entertainment district beside the Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium, designed to become a global hub for sport, culture, and community life.

Supported by Apollo’s experience in sports and media, ASC aims to turn the area into a dynamic hub for sport, culture, and community activity.

ASC’s investment will strengthen Atlético de Madrid’s standing among the world’s leading football clubs and advance its goal of achieving sustained success for its global fan base. As long-term partners, ASC and the current shareholders will work alongside the Club’s management to bolster financial stability, sporting performance, and community engagement.

Atlético de Madrid CEO Miguel Ángel Gil, shared his thoughts on the significance of the partnership and the Club’s ambitions for sustained growth.

“We are very proud to welcome a committed new partner to the club. Apollo Sports Capital is a powerful ally who respects the history, traditions and defining identity of Atlético de Madrid and its fans, while bringing additional strength and enthusiasm to help maintain our growth and competitiveness,” he said via press release.

“Looking ahead, together we see significant opportunity to drive strong, sustainable growth of Atlético de Madrid as we build on our remarkable legacy. It was important to me to select a long-term investment partner who believes in our strategy and can enhance our activities off the pitch with the development of Ciudad del Deporte.”

Apollo Partner and co-Portfolio Manager of ASC, Robert Givone, highlighted Apollo Sports Capital’s investment and shared goals with Atlético de Madrid.

“Atlético de Madrid is one of Europe’s great sporting institutions and we are honored for Apollo Sports Capital to invest in this storied club and its more than 120-year heritage. Miguel Ángel has done a tremendous job transforming Atlético and it was important to us that we invest behind his continued leadership, in addition to investing in the team and the local community,” he said via press release.

Apollo Sports Capital’s investment remains subject to standard closing conditions, including regulatory approvals, and is anticipated to be finalised in Q1 2026.

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Victory unites with Roasting Warehouse in culture-led partnership

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Image credit: Melbourne Victory

The Melbourne-based anf family-owned business will join the Victory family, uniting two institutions which represent the city’s culture and identity.

A partnership with local roots

As the newest partner of Melbourne Victory, Roasting Warehouse joins forces with a vital part of the city’s sporting landscape.

The club’s Managing Director, Caroline Carnegie, outlined why the partnership bears so much value to both parties.

“We are excited to collaborate with Roasting Warehouse, a community-oriented destination for high-quality coffee, proud of its foundations in Melbourne,” said Carnegie via official media release.

“Football and coffee sit at the epicentre of Melbourne’s culture. The two go hand-in-hand, consistently at the centre of the conversation that stirs Melburnians, which is no different to the conversation sport and Melbourne Victory stir in the State.”

Indeed, this is a partnership which combines the identity, passions and culture of an entire city, therefore giving it the foundations required for long-term, mutual success.

Representing the best of Melbourne

Both Victory and Roasting Warehouse are hugely successful in their respective industries. They are institutions with community-oriented philosphies, who pride themselves on craft and quality.

“We’re incredibly proud to partner with Melbourne Victory, a club that represents the heart, passion, and ambition of Melbourne,” revealed Roasting Warehouse Head of Brand, Alexander Paraskevopoulos.

“As a Melbourne-founded, family-run business, supporting a team that means so much to the local community feels very natural for us.”

Furthermore, through their high-quality blends, Roasting Warehouse will look to prepare Victory’s players and staff for high performances on the pitch as the seasons nears completion.

But this is about far more than just fueling athletes.

This is a partnership which embodies and unites two of Melbourne’s greatest strengths and cultural markers – a connection forged from the city’s very own DNA.

 

For more information about Roasting Warehouse, click here.

Marie-Louise Eta makes history as new Union Berlin head coach

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Image credit: FC Union Berlin

In an historic appointment, Eta will take over as head coach of Union Berlin until the end of the season.

History in the making

Previously the first female assistant coach in Bundesliga history with Union Berlin, Eta will now take the reigns of the men’s first team on an interim basis.

Currently, the club sit in 11th place in the Bundesliga table, but with only two wins so far in 2026, relegation appears an all-too-real prospect, and one which the club is desperate to avoid.

“Given the points gap in the lower half of the table, our place in the Bundesliga is not yet secure,” said Eta via official media release.

‘I am delighted that the club has entrusted me with this challenging task. One of Union’s strengths has always been, and remains, the ability to pull together in such situations.”

Eta will begin as Union’s new head coach with immediate effect, and will be in the dugout for the club’s matchup against Wolfsburg this weekend.

 

A step into an equal future

Eta’s appointment signals a major step towards a more level playing field in the football landscape.

Furthermore, Eta joins other coaches including Sabrinna Wittmann, Hannah Dingley and Corinne Diacre who, in recent years, have blazed a trail for female coaches to step into the men’s game.

Wittmann currently manages FC Ingolstadt in Germany’s third division, and was the first female head coach in Germany’s top three divisions.

In 2023, Dingley became caretaker manager of Forest Green Rovers, and thus the first woman to lead a men’s professional team in England.

Diacre, now head coach of France’s women’s national team, managed Ligue 2’s Clerment Foot between 2014 and 2017.

 

Final thoughts

The impact therefore, is that Eta’s appointment will show future generations of aspiring female coaches that men’s football is an equally viable and possible pathway as the women’s game.

The time is now to level the playing field.

And while it may be a short-term role, its effect on attitudes towards equality and fair opportunities in the game will hopefully resonate long after the season ends.

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