Burnley Owners Buy Espanyol, But Clubs 'Will Remain Independent'

Last Updated:July 14, 2025, 20:24 IST

Velocity Sport Limited, owners of Burnley, acquired La Liga's Espanyol from Rastar Group. Both clubs will operate independently but share financial backing.

Burnley and Espanyol (X)

Velocity Sport Limited (VSL), the owners of Premier League club Burnley, have finalised a deal to acquire La Liga team Espanyol.

According to a statement from Espanyol, “The Rastar Group, the majority shareholders of RCD Espanyol, have reached an agreement in the past few hours with Velocity Sport Limited, an English-based group which also has American shareholders."

Rastar will not sever ties with RCD Espanyol; instead, its shares will be integrated into the new investment vehicle, which will hold stakes in both clubs.

“Rastar is not disassociating itself from RCD Espanyol, but rather its shares will become part of this new investment vehicle that will have stakes in both clubs," the statement added.

Espanyol will be the second team under VSL’s control alongside Burnley, but the clubs will operate independently, as stated.

“This business integration formula allows for the coexistence of two historic clubs that will operate independently, although they will be supported by the same financial group."

Since the Chinese group Rastar and owner Chen Yansheng took over in 2015, Espanyol fans have grown discontented, with the club experiencing two relegations from the top flight.

What Is The Problem Of Multiple Clubs Having Same Owners?

In July, Premier League club Crystal Palace was moved from the Europa League to the Conference League due to a multi-club ownership issue involving French side Lyon, who had qualified for the Europa League.

American businessman John Textor, the majority shareholder in Lyon, also owns a stake in Crystal Palace, which is set to appeal against UEFA’s ruling.

How Many Clubs Have Same Owner?

Notable examples include City Football Group (Manchester City, Girona), Red Bull GmbH (RB Leipzig, Red Bull Salzburg), 777 Partners (Genoa, Standard Liege), Eagle Football Holdings (Olympique Lyonnais, RWD Molenbeek), INEOS Group (OGC Nice, FC Lausanne-Sport), RedBird Capital Partners (AC Milan, Toulouse FC), BlueCo / Todd Boehly (Chelsea FC, RC Strasbourg Alsace), New City Capital and Pacific Media Group (Barnsley, Thun), United World Group (Sheffield United, K. Beerschot V.A.), and King Power International (Leicester City, OH Leuven). Other groups noted in reports include David Blitzer / Global Football Holdings, Evangelos Marinakis, Gino Pozzo, Daniel Kretinsky, Qatar Sports Investment, and Bill Foley.

(With inputs from AFP)

Ritayan Basu

Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes on cricket content, ha...Read More

Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes on cricket content, ha...

Read More

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