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Power Play — North America, Saudi Arabia & The UAE Competing For Italy’s Serie A

Andrea Zanon Confidente
4 min readMar 12, 2024

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https://sempreinter.com/2024/03/12/power-play-north-america-saudi-arabia-the-uae-compete-for-italy-serie-a/

The world of football is witnessing a surge in international investment, with North America and the oil-rich Gulf region vying for a stake in Italy’s Serie A.

The United Arab Emirates established a foothold early on through City Football Group (CFG), a holding company owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan

Therefore, CFG has become a major financial force, owning 13 clubs worldwide and expanding into Brazil and Holland.

The US and Saudi Arabia are catching up, with the US emerging as a trusted financier for Italian teams.

Who are these investors interested in Italian football?

The investors driving the surge in Italian football ownership come from two main groups: North American private equity funds and investment funds backed by wealthy Arab Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs) like PIF and Mubadala.

Arab investors are diversifying their economies beyond oil and engage their young populations.

North America, Saudi Arabia & The UAE Competing For Italy’s Serie A

Both groups see undervalued Italian teams as attractive investments. Some US firms adopting a “multi-club” model focused on…

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