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This Firm Scores Public Funds Big Returns From Soccer Stragglers
- Fasanara Capital is financing smaller European soccer clubs with private credit, using future income streams as collateral.
- The firm has deployed roughly $400 million across more than 35 deals, with ticket sizes between $10 million and $50 million.
- Fasanara targets clubs near the bottom of Europe’s top leagues and some lower in each country's soccer pyramid for funding needs.
- Francesco Filia, founder and CEO, says small clubs need alternative funding sources since large banks won’t back them.
- Fasanara has collaborated on a $500 million sports credit fund with Tifosy launched in 2023, with ongoing deployments.
- Competitors like Apollo and Oaktree have also backed soccer financing or restructured debts, illustrating growing interest in the space.
- Fasanara emphasizes that the space is very hot, with continued appetite from large institutions crossing the Atlantic.
- Fasanara’s model can include collateral beyond transfer fees, such as equity in a club or stadium, and sometimes the future transfer value of players.
- The article highlights heightened transfer activity in men’s soccer, underscoring demand for specialized credit.
- Fasanara’s loans typically offer returns of 10% to 12% at the fund level, without adding additional leverage.
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