The Premier League Club Southampton officially announced that Sport Republic Group bought an 80% stake in Southampton from Chinese boss Gao Jisheng, becoming the team's majority shareholder.
The announcement read: "Southampton confirms that Sport Republic Group has completed the acquisition of a controlling stake in the club. An investment group involved in the sports and entertainment industry, they bought a stake in the club held by Mr Gao Jisheng, while another southampton shareholder, Caterina Liebherr, retained her stake. Southampton FC wishes Mr Ko and his family all the best for the future. ”
Chinese boss Gao Jisheng bought an 80% stake in Southampton for £210 million in August 2017, but Southampton's performance has fallen badly after the Chinese takeover and has been fighting for relegation in recent seasons. According to the Daily Mail, a next home like Dragan Sorak is not easy to find, and Gao Jisheng has been listing the club for 18-24 months, but it is popular because the price is too high. In the end, he could only accept offers from Sport Republic Group, which was much lower than the price he paid when he first bought the club.
Sport Republic Group is owned by Serbian media giant Dragan Sorak. Following the completion of the acquisition, Sorak said: "My partner and I have extensive experience in long-term investments in the sports and entertainment industry. Sport Republic Group was formed to combine this expertise and deliver unique products to the market, and the Southampton Club will be the cornerstone of our programme. ”
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