Alan Pace puts Espanyol in the timeshare dilemma: either the Red Bull model or the Marinakis model.

The new era at Espanyol , based on the experiences of other clubs, proposes two distinct management models: one in which one team dominates the others, and another in which they operate independently. According to the blue-and-white club's statement announcing the sale to Velocity Sport Limited, both clubs will remain "at the same level" and both will operate "independently."

Espanyol will debut in timeshare ownership under Alan Pace's ownership. The club will join a long list of teams that are part of the timeshare model, and, interestingly, the group led by Pace will be, along with the City Group, the only one with a club that plays in the top flight of Spanish and English football .

The City Group, with Pep Guardiola's Manchester City as its flagship team, is one of the most notable and notable timeshare companies in the world of football. In addition to Cityzen , the Abu Dhabi-based business group also owns Girona and Troyes, among others. Savinho, currently a City player, played for Troyes and Girona before being managed by the Catalan coach since last season.

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Still in the Premier League, American Todd Boehly, owner of Chelsea ( recently crowned Club World Cup champions ), also owns Strasbourg in France. The London club has loaned out several of its players to the French club in recent seasons. For example, Brazilian midfielder Andrey Santos.

Also in the Premier League is Nottingham Forrest, owned by Greek Evangelos Marinakis, owner of Olympiakos, who won the Europa League in 2024. Marinakis has been the subject of several unusual images at the English club over the last season. One of them occurred when he went onto the pitch to complain to manager Nuno Espiritu Santo about the 2-2 draw at the already relegated Leicester City when they were fighting to qualify for the Champions League. That point certified Nottingham Forrest's presence in European competitions 29 years later.

Manchester City's arch-rival in recent years in the English Premier League , Jürgen Klopp, announced a year ago that he was leaving Liverpool to become the director of football for the Red Bull Group, one of the most dominant in Europe. The energy drink group owns several renowned clubs, including RB Leipzig (Germany), RB Salzburg (Austria), Leeds United (England), and Paris FC (France), among others.

The City Group and Red Bull, the most dominant

At the Spanish level, the two most notable multi-owners are the owners of the two most prominent Asturian teams, Real Oviedo and Sporting de Gijón. The Oviedo team is part of the Pachuca Group , led by Jesús Martínez, while the Gijón team is under the umbrella of the Orlegui Group, which announced its willingness to sell the Mexican Atlas a couple of days ago.

In Spain, unlike other major European leagues, it is prohibited for a single individual or legal entity to hold more than 5% of two entities in the same sport.

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The list of clubs owned by a single business conglomerate or owner has grown exponentially in recent years. The Pozzo family owns Unidese in Italy and Watford in England. RedBird Capital owns AC Milan in Italy and Toulouse in France, and the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund owns Newcastle United in the Premier League, along with the Big Four local clubs (Al-Hilal, Al-Ahly, Al-Ittihad, and Al-Nassr).

Espanyol, following Chen Yansheng and Rastar's tenure at the helm, is now experimenting with this ownership model for the first time. The potential benefits could include increased financial infusions or the ease of exchanging players with Burnley, Alan Pace's other club.