San Francisco 49ers owners assume control of English soccer club Leeds United

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The owners of the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers have assumed control of the English soccer club Leeds United.

Leeds United announced Monday that the English Football League had approved the sale of the club to 49ers Enterprises, allowing for “an immediate transition of ownership.” Leeds was relegated from the Premier League to the second-tier Championship for next season.

“This is an important moment for Leeds United and we are already hard at work,” said Paraag Marathe, who will take over as chairman of the club. “This transition is a necessary reset to chart a new course for the Club.”

Marathe succeeds Andrea Radrizzani as Leeds’ majority owner. Leeds CEO Angus Kinnear will remain in that role.

Marathe and 49ers CEO Jed York lead 49ers Enterprises. The ownership group first invested in Leeds in 2018 and increased its share to 44% in late 2021, then reached an agreement last month to take over Leeds with NBA players Larry Nance Jr. and T.J. McConnell joining as minority partners.

Golfers Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas will also be minority partners, Spieth said last week.

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