The timeshare puzzle has more and more pieces

The timeshare model in football is all the rage. Espanyol is one of the latest entities to embrace it, led by American Alan Pace and his company Velocity Sport Limited (VSL). Pace also owns English club Burnley, recently promoted to the Premier League and the tenth biggest spender in this summer transfer window according to Transfermarkt . The latest Spanish club that could join this model is Getafe . According to The Athletic, it could become the property of Fenway Sports Group (FSG), the company that owns Liverpool.

Without a doubt, the most prominent club within the City Group, the king of timeshares, is Pep Guardiola's Manchester City. The UAE-based group also includes Troyes, New York City, and Girona , among others. Coincidentally, VSL and the City Group are the only two timeshare models that have a team in the top flight of English and Spanish football.

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Jürgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola's main football enemy since he arrived in Manchester, left Liverpool last summer to become the director of football at Red Bull. The energy drink brand has invested heavily in football after having previously done so in other sports. Red Bull owns, among others, Leipzig and RB Salzburg. It also recently acquired stakes in Leeds United and Paris FC, both recently promoted to the top flight of English and French football, respectively. The Parisian club aims to build a project to challenge PSG in the future and, interestingly, there is only 40 meters between the Parc des Princes and Paris FC's stadium. Leeds United, meanwhile, is among the 30 teams that have invested the most in the summer transfer market, a clear statement of intent from the Red Bull group.

Staying in the Premier League , American Todd Boehly, owner of Chelsea (recently crowned Club World Cup champions), also owns Strasbourg in France. The London club loaned and sold five players to the French club this summer. Furthermore, the French club has spent the most on Ligue 1 signings.

One of the most influential figures in women's soccer is Michele Kang, who owns Olympique Lyonnais, the Washington Spirit, and the London City Lionesses. Kang has also served as president of the Lyon men's team since last June.

The list of clubs owned by a single business conglomerate or owner has grown exponentially in recent years. The Pozzo family owns Udinese in Italy and Watford in England. RedBird Capital owns AC Milan in Italy and Toulouse in France, and the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund owns Newcastle United in the Premier League, along with the four major local clubs (Al-Hilal, Al-Ahli, Al-Ittihad, and Al-Nassr).

The regulations established by the Higher Sports Council prohibit a company or legal entity from controlling more than 5% of the shares of two different entities that belong to the same sports discipline.

In Spain, unlike other European countries, the regulations established by the Higher Sports Council (CSD) prohibit a company or legal entity from controlling more than 5% of the shares of two different entities belonging to the same sporting discipline. Furthermore, the CSD is responsible for authorizing any transaction involving the transfer of 25% or more of the shares of a sports corporation. Two other Spanish entities subject to the timeshare model are the two most prominent Asturian teams: Real Oviedo (Pachuca Group) and Sporting de Gijón (Orlegui Group, both Mexican).

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One of the problems that has arisen in recent years due to timeshare ownership is the simultaneous participation in European competitions of two teams belonging to the same group, such as Manchester City and Girona, or Leipzig and Salzburg. Article 5 of the UEFA Champions League Regulations states that no club may have shares or any type of influence over another club, and that no natural or legal person may hold more than 50% of the capital, control more than 50% of the governing body, or have effective control of more than one club participating in European competitions. The aforementioned clubs have had to adapt to this rule and, for example, Girona did not receive a single player on loan from Manchester City last season.

The new era at Espanyol, taking into account the experiences of other clubs, proposes two distinct management models. In the first, one team dominates the others, while in the second, they operate independently. According to the blue-and-white club in the statement announcing the sale to Velocity Sport Limited, both clubs will remain "at the same level" and both will operate "independently."