October 15 – Australian A-League clubs may be financially better positioned than they have been letting on during their governance and financial disputes with their football federation over power and money.
Football is arguably only the fourth sport in the country after Rugby League, Australian Rules Football and Cricket, but A-League club the Melbourne Victory are now the second-most valuable privately held sports club in Australia after a recent share transaction valued the club at A$40 million ($29.25 million), reports the Australian newspaper.
NRL side Brisbane Broncos (A$47 million) are ahead of them in terms of valuation.
Melbourne Victory compete in the same market as City Football Group owned Melbourne City FC who finished one position ahead them in third place in last season’s competition.
Victory chairman Anthony Di Pietro, at the club’s season launch, announced that Sam and Maria Cuteri of poultry company La Ionica, had bought new shares as part of a capital raising for the club. In 2014 share trading valued the club at about A$25 million.
Di Petro, the majority owner of the Victory, also announced house builder Metricon as the club’s major shirt sponsor for the 2018-19 season. Metricon is also a club shareholder.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1714597379labto1714597379ofdlr1714597379owedi1714597379sni@n1714597379osloh1714597379cin.l1714597379uap1714597379