Unlike state funds or the Russian oligarchs of the past, investment companies want to make a profit from football. Lars Windhorst’s engagement at Hertha Berlin shows what happens when you let yourself be guided by emotions.
Manchester United has also been targeted by an investment firm.
Eccentric club bosses are as much a part of football as chants in fan stands and controversial offside decisions. For decades, charismatic managers like Giampiero Boniperti and Uli Hoeness drew the spotlight. After the turn of the millennium, particularly in Europe, the super-rich and oil-rich states saw football as a vehicle for self-expression with increasing frequency. For example, Roman Abramovich as a long-time owner of Chelsea or Nasser al-Khelaifi as a representative of Qatar Sports Investments and President of Paris Saint-Germain.