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Former NFL star JJ Watt has officially added Espanyol to his portfolio of European football clubs after Velocity Sport Limited’s (VSL) takeover of the Spanish club was completed on Thursday.
Barcelona-based Espanyol become the second club under the ownership of VSL, who are fronted by the American Alan Pace, after Premier League side Burnley.
Watt, who is a minority investor in Burnley, is also involved in the acquisition of Espanyol. He was present for their opening game of the LaLiga season, a 2-1 win over Atlético Madrid.
Espanyol first confirmed in July that an agreement had been reached for VSL to replace the Chinese company Rastar Group as the club’s majority shareholders. The deal was finalised on Thursday.
“Football has always belonged to its people,” Pace said. “Our role is not to replace legacy, but to build upon it, with care, with clarity and with purpose.
“This is not about ownership; it’s about stewardship. Burnley will remain Burnley. Espanyol will remain Espanyol. Each club will retain its own leadership, identity, independence and decision-making, run by its own people, for its own supporters.
“We are here to do the work. Honestly, carefully, and openly. To respect the past, support the present, and shape a future worthy of both clubs’ proud traditions. This is how football evolves, with its people, for its people and always for the beautiful game.”
VLC’s investment in Espanyol sees them become the latest group to partake in multiclub ownership.
The City Football Group (CFG) has 13 clubs worldwide — including Manchester City and Girona — while fellow Premier League sides Aston Villa, Brentford and Crystal Palace also have owners with interests in other clubs.
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It proved a problem for Palace this year, though, after they were demoted from the Europa League to the Europa Conference League due to their links to French side Lyon, who will compete in the Europa League.
Espanyol have been owned by the Rastar Group, fronted by Chen Yansheng, since 2015. During that period, they have twice been relegated from LaLiga, but they returned for the latest time in 2024 and stayed up last season.
They have made an encouraging start to the new campaign, picking up 12 points from their opening eight games to leave them ninth in LaLiga heading into the international break.