NFL great Tom Brady becomes minority owner of second-tier British soccer team Birmingham City
By Ben Morse, CNN
(CNN) — NFL great Tom Brady has joined a partnership to become a minority owner in second-tier British soccer team Birmingham City, it was announced on Thursday.
Brady, who is a seven-time Super Bowl champion, joins with Knighthead Capital Management LLC to purchase a stake in the club.
According to the press release, Brady will become the chairman of a new advisory board in which he will work in partnership with the club’s board and be part of the team’s leadership team.
“Birmingham City is an iconic club with so much history and passion and to be part of the Blues is a real honor for me,” Brady said in a press release.
“BCFC is built on teamwork and determination and I’m excited to work alongside the board, management and players to make our … club second to none. I’ve been part of some amazing teams in my day, and I’m looking forward to applying my perspective to create that same success here in Birmingham.”
The club announcement said that Brady will “apply his extensive leadership experience and expertise across several components of the Club, including working alongside the sports science department to advise on health, nutrition, wellness, and recovery systems and programs.”
Brady will also work closely with the Board and the management team on “global marketing efforts and the identification of new commercial partnership opportunities,” according to Birmingham City.
Away from his success on the field, Brady has become known for his business ventures and his other forays into the sports ownership realm.
In 2022, he joined the ownership group of a Major League Pickleball team and his clothing brand kitted out one of the team’s competing in the famous 24 hours Le Mans race.
Earlier this year, Brady revealed exclusively to CNN his involvement in the new E1 series, the first electric race boat championship.
Birmingham City finished 17th in the second-tier of English football’s pyramid, the Championship, last season.
“Tom Brady joining the Birmingham City team is a statement of intent. We are setting the bar at world class,” Tom Wagner, chairman of the club’s board, said. “Tom is both investing and committing his time and extensive expertise.
“As Chair of the Advisory Board Tom will have a direct impact on the Club. The Men’s, Women’s, and Academy teams are going to benefit from the knowledge. The goal that Tom has committed to own is to make Birmingham City a respected leader in nutrition, health, wellness, and recovery across the world of football.
“A commitment to Blues fans was made on Monday 8 May 2023, to add experts from the world of sport and football to the team, putting in place the building blocks for future success. With Garry Cook as CEO, Hope Powell as Women’s Technical Director and now Tom Brady we are off to a fast start. Success does not come overnight. It takes time. But when you have great leaders in place everything becomes possible.”
Birmingham City’s first game of the 2023/2024 season is away at Swansea on Saturday.
CNN has reached out to both Birmingham City and Knighthead Capital Management to ask more details about Brady’s investment but has yet to hear back at the time of publication.
The-CNN-Wire
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