Indonesia group takes over cash-strapped Roar
Reuters - Friday 07 October 2011, 02:51
Indonesia's Bakrie Group has taken a 70
percent stake in Australian domestic soccer champions Brisbane
Roar, putting the cash-strapped club back into private hands
after seven months being run by local soccer administrators.
Roar went into league administration days after winning
Australia's top-flight A-League title in March after the
previous owners racked up millions of dollars of debts.
Football Federation Australia, custodians of the financially
shaky competition, would retain a 30 percent stake in Roar, the
governing body said in a statement on Friday.
"We have been working extremely hard to find the right
investors for last year's premiers and we believe we have found
fantastic new owners in the Bakrie Group," FFA CEO Ben Buckley
said.
"They have a strong background in football through ownership
of several other clubs and their interests are in line with our
outlook for the Roar."
The Bakrie Group, controlled by the family of Indonesia's
Golkar Party Chairman Aburizal Bakrie, will hold their majority
stake under a 10-year license through the group's sporting arm,
Pelita Jaya Cronus.
Pelita Jaya Cronus already holds stakes in an Indonesian
Super League club and Belgian second-division side Cercle
Sportif Vise.
Dali Tahir, a former Asian soccer powerbroker and current
member of FIFA's Ethics Committee, will chair the club.
The takeover comes two weeks after the FFA approved new
owners for New Zealand-based Wellington Phoenix after their
previous debt-stricken owner relinquished the license.
The 10-team A-League's seventh season kicks off on Saturday.