The changes coming following Apollo takeover of Atletico Madrid | OneFootball

Atletico Madrid dropped the news on Monday that a takeover deal had been completed for Apollo Sports Capital (ASC) to become the new majority shareholder at the club. It will see a new regime have the final say over matters at the club for first time since 1987, when the Gil family first took control of the club.

Los Colchoneros were initially run by Jesus Gil y Gil, whose tenure was mired in controversy, and subsequent financial problems after the club became a private company. For the last two decades, his son, Miguel Angel Gil Marin and Enrique Cerezo have been in charge at the Metropolitano, overseeing the Diego Simeone era and the move from the Vicente Calderon to the Metropolitano, but not without criticism of their handling of things.

Gil Marin and Cerezo to remain in charge

However their leadership will not be changed for the time being. No time period is given for their exits from the club, or at least taking a step back, but Ruben Uria has reported that Gil Marin and Cerezo are expected to be in place for at least the next three to four seasons.

“Miguel Angel has done a tremendous job transforming Atletico and it was important to us that we invest behind his continued leadership, in addition to investing in the team and the local community,” said managing partner Rob Givone in a public statement.

ASC went on to say that their focus would be on improving fan experience and adding value to the sports city around the Metropolitano.

Fresh investment on the way for Mateu Alemany

The good news comes for new Sporting Director Mateu Alemany. The recently installed transfer guru is expected to have a significant budget to invest in the market, with Cadena Cope saying that it could amount to some €70m via a capital investment. Financial analyst Marc Vidal explained that Atletico will have more financial muscle and more spending power, resulting in an ability to compete for the most expensive players in the world. Vidal notes that the intention for Atletico is for the club to be worth €3.5b within five years, an increase of 40% on their current valuation.

Diego Simeone going nowhere

Another of the headlines is that Diego Simeone’s job is safe. ASC, as per the same source, have no intention of a major shake-up, hence the continuity of Gil Marin and Cerezo. That extends to Simeone, who is currently under contract until 2027, and until now, it has been left to the Argentine to more or less decide how long he will stay in the role. When it comes to signings, Gil Marin will retain the final say for any deals within the club’s budget, while those that require extra funds will need the green light from ASC too. Any decisions on sales will remain under Gil Marin’s control.

Image via Javier Gandul/Diario AS

What is the ownership structure at Atletico Madrid now?

The only publicly confirmed detail is that ASC will now possess 55% of the club, making them the majority shareholder. Until now Quantum Sports Pacific have been in control of 28% of the club, while Atleti Holdco have represented 70% of the club’s ownership. Of that 70% share, Gil Marin had 51%, Cerezo possessed 15% and Ares Management a further 34%.

Diario AS say that Gil Marin will now possess a total of 10% of the shares, and Cerezo’s share will reduce to just 3%. Ares Management retain 5% of Atletico, while Quantum Pacific suffer only a minor reduction to their share, from 28% to 25%. It has been reported that between them, in a total deal worth €1.3b, Gil Marin and Cerezo are set to earn around €310m for their shares.