Turkish football club Göztepe S.K. have reached an agreement with Sport Republic which will see the London-based investment firm acquire a controlling stake in the side.
Backed by Serbian billionaire Dragan Šolak, Göztepe S.K. will become Sport Republic’s second football club investment, having taken control of Premier League side Southampton in January 2022.
In purchasing a 70% shareholding of Göztepe, Sport Republic become the first foreign investor within the Turkish football industry.
The existing shareholders will retain a 30 per cent stake in the club, while Sport Republic CEO Rasmus Ankersen will become chairman of the Turkish second division outfit.
Ankersen said in a statement:
“Göztepe S.K. has a lot of potential for growth. It has a unique and very large following as well as a high-quality infrastructure, in particular a new and beautiful stadium located in Izmir.
“With almost five million inhabitants on its doorstep, we believe the club offers an opportunity to build a strong pipeline of homegrown talent.
“Being the first foreign investors in Turkish football comes with extra responsibilities and attention. We know it will not be without challenges, but we are committed to our long-term vision of fulfilling the potential of Göztepe.
“The passion for football in Turkey is truly special and we hope that our methodology and ideas can help develop Göztepe further.”
Chairman of Sport Republic, Henrik Kraft, added:
“We are very excited to announce our investment into Göztepe S.K. and add the club to the Sport Republic family. We have been working on this for a long time and are very pleased that it was possible to come to an agreement.
“The ambition of all of us at Sport Republic is to build a portfolio of high-influence stakes in football clubs and other sporting assets across the world and then use our wider portfolio of sports technology businesses to accelerate the development of those companies. We can’t wait to get started and begin implementing our strategy with Göztepe.
“I would also like to thank Mehmet Sepil for his collaboration in making this deal happen. One of our key requirements was that Mehmet stayed as a shareholder as he knows the club and Turkish football in general inside out. We very much look forward to our partnership with Mehmet.”
Sport Republic had declared their interest in creating a multi-club portfolio, with Southampton considered the jewel in the crown, when they purchased the club from Gao Jisheng in January.
The Saints could see their new Turkish acquaintances as an opportunity for development loan spells, while Sport Republic still seek to add more clubs to the portfolio.
