Rotherham United takeover update emerges - ex-Sheffield United player involved | OneFootball

Rotherham United could be set for fresh investment, or even a takeover from a Swiss consortium, whose identity has now been revealed

Rotherham United were relegated to League Two following a woeful League One campaign, but an exciting new chapter could be up ahead for the South Yorkshire club.

A Swiss consortium, who may choose to invest in the Millers, or even complete a takeover, held talks with chairman Tony Stewart as the New York Stadium club played out a 1-1 draw with Reading in their final home game of the campaign, and their identity has now been revealed.

Rotherham's relegation to League Two was confirmed when they were beaten 3-0 by Wigan Athletic on 14 April, while Lee Clark's men went on to enjoy one victory in their last four games.

The Millers' drop to the fourth tier comes just two years after they were relegated from the Championship, highlighting a worrying decline.

Ex-Sheffield United player among Rotherham United's prospective investors

Rotherham are tasked with building a squad who can help them land an immediate League One return, while the South Yorkshire outfit will likely have to wave goodbye to star players such as striker Sam Nombe, who may not entertain the idea of playing in League Two.

The Millers have not plied their trade in the fourth tier since the 2012/13 season, so supporters will be desperate to see their side return to a higher division as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, as previously reported by the Rotherham Advertiser, it is not yet clear whether the Swiss consortium who attended the South Yorkshire outfit's clash with Reading just want to invest, or if they want to complete a takeover, but Stewart is more amenable to a sale than ever before.

The Millers were in League Two when Stewart bought them back in the spring of 2008, and they have returned to that level after becoming more accustomed to plying their trade in either the Championship or League One.

According to the Rotherham Advertiser, the Swiss consortium are known as the Bridge Football Group, and oversee Dutch second division team Den Bosch, Chinese second-tier side Shaanxi Union, and Italian Serie C outfit Pro Vercelli.

The Bridge Football Group is composed of chief executive officer Ludovic Delechat, who is a Swiss lawyer, and technical advisor Dries Boussatta, who made six appearances for Sheffield United during the 2006/07 season, while former PSV Eindhoven academy coach and Vitesse Arnhem academy director Edwin Petersen is their director of youth development.

Bridge Football Group takeover would be more beneficial to Rotherham United than just investment

When Rotherham successfully obtained Championship survival at the end of the 2022/23 season, they would not have entertained the idea that they would be relegated to League Two by 2026.

However, that sad eventuality is exactly what has happened to the Millers, and suggests that Stewart has taken the South Yorkshire outfit as far as he can.

Consequently, the New York Stadium outfit would benefit more from a takeover by the Swiss Consortium than they would from simple investment from the group.

The Bridge Football Group already boast a decent portfolio of other clubs, and have board members who have valuable football experience.

Sheffield United stint means he has some knowledge about the South Yorkshire football scene.