Atletico Madrid Owners in Advanced Talks to Sell Majority Stake to Apollo Global Management

Atletico Madrid's ownership group is in advanced discussions with Apollo Global Management, a US private equity firm, regarding the sale of a majority stake in the Spanish football club, according to sources familiar with the negotiations.

Both Apollo and Atletico Madrid declined to confirm these reports when approached for comment.

Speaking at a sports and business forum on Tuesday, Atletico's CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin emphasized the importance of continuous financial investment to achieve strong results and satisfy supporters. He stated, "To get good results and keep the fans happy, you have to keep investing significant money in players and infrastructure. That investment has to come from outside… now we are open to a new investor coming into the ownership group."

The prospective deal involves Apollo acquiring shares from the current four partners: CEO Gil Marin, club president Enrique Cerezo, Ares Management, and Quantum Pacific, a British investment firm founded by Israeli entrepreneur Idan Ofer. Gil Marin controls a majority stake through Holdco, which holds 70.39 percent of the club's shares. Within Holdco, Gil Marin owns 50.82 percent, Ares Management 33.96 percent, and Cerezo 15.22 percent. Quantum Pacific holds 27.81 percent directly.

According to Spanish financial outlet Expansion, Apollo values Atletico Madrid at approximately 2.5 billion euros ($2.9 billion). As a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange managing assets exceeding $800 billion, Apollo is reportedly considering utilizing a $5 billion dedicated sports investment fund to facilitate the acquisition.

Atletico, crowned La Liga champions in 2021, have experienced a challenging start to the current season and are positioned 12th in the league standings.

The potential partnership with Apollo marks a strategic effort to secure fresh capital aimed at strengthening Atletico Madrid's future competitiveness both on and off the field.