http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industr ... on-Phoenix
Under-fire property developer Terry Serepisos plans to sell half the Wellington Phoenix to the owner of a top-flight Spanish football club – and claims a $100 million-plus loan deal will solve his financial woes.
The move would see Racing Santander owner Ahsan Ali Syed, 37, take a half-share in the Phoenix and open the door for its players to possibly make their way into Spain's La Liga premier league, which boasts clubs such as Real Madrid and Barcelona.
The $100m-plus loan deal with Mr Ali's Bahrain-based company Western Gulf Advisory was signed in Switzerland and would be confirmed by mid March once some conditions had been met, a confident and defiant Mr Serepisos said yesterday.
Despite the controversy that lies with both owners, it's a huge deal and this, along with the part-ownership of the Roar from FC Utrecht, it shows that the league is growing steadily and gaining both attention and respect from bigger overseas clubs.
Of course, a lot of this is merely business, but it can be exploited for the Phoenix's - and A-League's - benefit.