It might surprise you, but Leeds is a celebrity magnet. Ferrell joined the business group 49ers Enterprises, which owns the club currently playing in the second English league.
It already features another famous actor Russell Crowe, legendary swimmer and Olympic multi-champion Micheal Phelps or golfers Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas.
According to the BBC, Ferrell will own a minority stake and will not have a direct influence on the running of the club. The media does not specify the exact figures for the transaction, but Ferrell’s entry into Leeds can be a decent injection. The Guardian estimates his fortune at less than four billion crowns.
The actor himself is a big sports fan, a few days ago photographers caught him cheering passionately. Ferrel pounded the Plexiglas in Los Angeles during the 1st round of the NHL Stanley Cup. He also already co-owns a soccer club from the same city playing in the increasingly popular MLS.
Now Ferrell joins the ranks of well-known figures investing in English football. A few years ago, one of the richest Czechs and the owner of Sparta Daniel Křetínský joined West Ham. Only the most influential and the richest can reach top brands from the Premier League, while clubs from lower competitions are more accessible even for “ordinary billionaires and millionaires”.
For example, recently, through an investor group, Ondřej Palát, winner of the Stanley Cup and participant in the upcoming hockey championship in Prague, also owned a smaller share in Plymouth, England.
“When you say the third English league, many Czechs don’t understand what it means,” he told iDNES.cz the year before. “I was quite skeptical, but when a teammate from Tampa, Victor Hedman, heard it, he immediately interpreted it: This is an incredible chance to get into English football. Don’t be stupid and let’s take it.”
In one of the other interviews, Palat already mentioned that he had already sold the share. However, his property entry only proved that American investment groups are interested in island football for a long time.
They include actor Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, who are co-owners of Wrexham, who are currently enjoying promotion to England’s second-tier.
It was Wrexham that Ferrell visited last year at the invitation of famous colleagues from the industry. “I have no intentions here. But I enjoy the storylines being followed. There are really good competitions here,” he explained to Sky Sports.
It was probably around this time that his passion for English football was ignited. Ferrell also went to the Manchester City game, where he befriended midfielder Jack Grealish. “It was great to meet a new British friend,” Ferrell recounted, giving a bit of a pep talk about what he talked about with the Aston Villa pupil.
Grealish asked him if the American comedian would buy the city rival. “He told me to buy Birmingham City and get them relegated,” Ferrell joked at the time. By the way, one of the co-owners of Birmingham is former NFL superstar Tom Brady.
But back to Ferrell. One year was enough and he really got into the ownership structures of another English club. Investor and sports enthusiast Ferrell must be nervous right now.
Leeds United could have secured direct promotion to the Premier League at the weekend. However, Ipswich Town with Czech goalkeeper Václav Hladký definitely blew the second promotion place from the Championship among the elite.
Leeds are now looking at a four-man playoff of the third to sixth teams, from which only one team will advance to the Premier League. If Leeds were celebrating with celebrities on their backs, it would certainly attract the attention of audiences who are otherwise not very interested in football.
And for Ferrell, the investment would start to pay off right away.
Tags: Celebrity magnet Hollywood comedian enters English football immediately nerves
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