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At an Extraordinary General Shareholders’ Meeting at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano on Thursday, Apollo Sports Capital became the majority shareholder of Atlético de Madrid following a “reorganization of the entity’s significant shareholdings.” This has brought an end to 34 years of majority ownership by the Gil family.
“It is an honor for Apollo Sports Capital to become stewards of this storied franchise, partnering with Miguel Ángel and the management team to back their long-term vision, investing in the club and the local community,” Apollo partner Robert Givone said via statement. “ASC is committed to upholding the Atleti spirit and traditions in this exciting next phase.”
Longtime chief executive Miguel Ángel Gil Marín and longtime club president Enrique Cerezo will remain on the club’s board — with Cerezo picking up the new title of “Chairman” — but they are now minority stakeholders as Atlético enter a new era.
“We are proud to officially welcome Apollo Sports Capital to Atlético de Madrid as a committed, long-term partner and one that will build on our great legacy on and off the pitch for our fans, our players, coaches and staff, and our community,” Gil said. “I also want to thank Wanda Group, Quantum Pacific and Ares, who have supported us through pivotal moments to make this new chapter a reality.”
Atleti’s new Board of Directors
Five executives from Apollo Global Management will have seats on Atlético de Madrid’s new-look Board of Directors. They are:
- Robert Givone, the Co-Portfolio Manager of Apollo Sports Capital;
- Tristram Leach, an Apollo Partner and the firm’s Co-Head of the European Credit & Hybrid Business;
- Sam Porter, Chief Strategy Officer of ASC and a former director at Swansea City and DC United;
- Javier Valle, Managing Director at Apollo Global Management; and
- Antonio Vázquez-Guillén, a partner at the international law firm A&O Shearman (Apollo’s legal counsel).
In addition, the club has welcomed back legendary Spain striker David Villa as a board member. Villa, a key member of Atlético’s 2013/14 Liga-winning side, now heads the DV7 Group, an international player and sports marketing agency that has invested in football academies around the world. His son Luca plays in the Atleti academy.
“I’m very happy to be able to return to the club with new responsibilities, but with the same desire to keep helping make Atlético de Madrid even greater season after season,” Villa said in a statement. “The club has experienced significant growth in recent years, and I hope to contribute to us continuing to achieve success. I’m very grateful that they have thought of me for this role.”
David Villa becomes a new Atlético de Madrid board member.
Welcome home one of our 2013-14 heroes.
https://t.co/LwK6BJthHqpic.twitter.com/Ol2mZjEt4o
— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) March 12, 2026
As part of the reorganization of shares, the Quantum Pacific Group will have two members on the board: CEO Antoine Bonnier and a new face in Amit Singh, a Managing Director at the London-based holding company.
Jim Miller, the Co-Head of Ares Management Corporation’s Sports, Media and Entertainment arm, keeps his place on the board; Ares has been a stakeholder in Atleti since 2021. Rounding out the 12-member board is Gil and Cerezo’s legal counsel, Pablo Jiménez de Parga.
Capital increase approved
At the General Shareholders’ Meeting on Thursday morning, Apollo exercised a bit of its financial might as an “increase of equity and strategic capital up to an additional €100 million” was agreed.
The capital increase “includes investment in Atlético de Madrid’s teams and in major infrastructure projects such as the Ciudad del Deporte,” which remains in development adjacent to the Metropolitano.
Though the Sports City’s revenue potential is the factor that first attracted Apollo to invest in Atlético, ASC is poised to invest significantly in the men’s and women’s teams in the coming seasons — a factor that drew Mateu Alemany to the club as sporting director last October.
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