Soccer club Valencia says group backed by KKR founders buys 42% stake


FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Europa League - Champions League - Group H - Valencia v Chelsea - Mestalla, Valencia, Spain - November 27, 2019 General view outside the stadium before the match REUTERS/Sergio Perez/File Photo

HONG ⁠KONG, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Spain's Valencia ⁠CF said on Friday that an ‌investment group backed by KKR co-founders George Roberts and Henry Kravis would buy a 42% ​stake in the soccer ⁠club in a ⁠deal which gives it an enterprise value ⁠of €1.25 ‌billion ($1.4 billion).

Pitchwise Holdings, a consortium of private family offices and ⁠long-term institutional investors led by sports ​executives ‌Ann Rodriguez and Corey Woolfolk, will ⁠buy shares ​from Valencia's majority owner Meriton Holdings, Valencia said.

They will also provide €100 million of ⁠fresh capital for direct ​investment in the club, Valencia said in a statement, adding that the deal is ⁠subject to usual closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.

Meriton will retain a majority shareholding in Valencia, while Kiat Lim ​will remain as president. ⁠Rodriguez and Woolfolk will join Lim ​in a new ownership ‌group, Valencia said.

($1 = 0.8937 ​euros)

(Reporting by Yantoultra Ngui; editing by Philippa Fletcher and Alexander Smith)

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