Ownership Transition in French Football
In a significant development for French football, the Ligue 1 club Lorient has declared that it is now wholly owned by the Black Knight Football Club (BKFC). This announcement was made on Wednesday, solidifying the American-led group’s influence in European football.
Investment and Strategic Goals
Bill Foley, the owner of the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights and a key figure behind BKFC, initially invested in Lorient in January 2023 as part of a broader strategy to expand through multi-club ownership. The consortium also manages several other teams, including:
- Premier League’s AFC Bournemouth
- Portugal’s Moreirense FC
- Auckland FC
The statement released by Lorient emphasized that this acquisition is a part of a strategic agreement aimed at advancing the club’s long-term success in the highly competitive world of football.
Financial Commitment and Leadership
As part of this deal, BKFC is reportedly injecting over $550 million in equity into Lorient. Notably, club president Loïc Féry will continue to lead Lorient and has been welcomed as a shareholder within BKFC alongside Foley.
“We are thrilled to move forward with FC Lorient and are excited to have Loïc join us at BKFC,” Foley remarked, reinforcing the commitment to achieving future successes while keeping the passion of the supporters at the forefront of their plans.
Current Standing
Currently, Lorient sits in ninth place in Ligue 1 after completing 19 matches of the season.
