Lionel Messi acquires Spanish second division club

Inter Miami star Lionel Messi has further expanded his football business empire by officially acquiring Eldense, a club competing in the Spanish second division. This significant deal marks a bold step for the Argentina captain as he becomes the owner of his first professional club in Spain, though regulatory approvals and current rules may pose some challenges ahead. This is reported by Goal.com .

According to Goal.com, the club itself officially announced the purchase on Thursday. This marks one of the biggest off-pitch business ventures for the 39-year-old Argentine football legend. The team, based in the Alicante province, previously belonged to the Grupo TH investment group, which also owns clubs in Colombia and Switzerland. This deal marks the third change of ownership for Eldense in the last year.

Deal details and legal stages

Currently, the purchase is awaiting official approval from the Spanish National Sports Council (CSD). Once this process is complete, a new era filled with ambitious goals will begin for the Spanish lower-division representative. It is worth noting that this is the first professional football club Lionel Messi has purchased in Spain. Earlier this year, he acquired the fifth-division team Cornella, but it held semi-professional status.

In its statement, Eldense expressed high hopes for the arrival of its new famous owner. The club's management believes that the arrival of the Argentine football legend will mark a turning point in the team's sporting, institutional, and social development. The statement emphasized that the entry of one of the greatest figures in sports history into Spanish professional football as a club owner signifies the start of a long-term project.

Club history and future plans

Founded in 1921, Eldense has spent most of its history outside the top two divisions of Spanish football. The team plays its home matches at the modest Estadio Nuevo Pepico Amat in Elda, which has a capacity of 5,776 spectators. The new project led by Messi aims to take this provincial team to new heights.

Nevertheless, experts believe that regulatory restrictions and existing ownership rules in Spanish football could play a decisive role in finalizing the deal. Only after receiving CSD approval will Lionel Messi's new investment in Spanish football have full legal force and the team's future be determined.