June 7 – Retail behemoth Anders Holch Povlsen has invested in leading Danish outfit FC Midtjylland to obtain 25% of the shares and become the club’s second largest shareholder after owner Matthew Benham.
Benham, a former vice-president of Bank of America, also owns Brentford, the London club who have gained promotion to the English top flight after three seasons of falling just short. In a dramatic finale to the season, FC Midtjylland however lost the Danish league title to Brøndby, a signal perhaps for the club and its owner to plan for the future.
With Povlsen pouring more than €13 million into the club to become a major shareholder, Midtjylland wants to lay the foundation for ‘Vision 2025’, which aims to make the club a top-50 team in Europe.
The new capital will be used to build a new training facility for the first team and a youth academy. The resources will also allow the club’s stadium to be expanded.
“We believe very much in the dream, the driving force and the human values, which are also reflected in our access to investments,” said Povlsen in a statement.
“That is why we would like to help create good framework conditions for young people who, with talent and dedication, can become role models – also for children and young people from the region.”
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