Brewers owner Mark Attanasio is approved to purchase a major stake in Norwich City soccer club in England
Born in New York, living in Los Angeles and owning a Major League Baseball franchise on the shores of Lake Michigan, Mark Attanasio is familiar with the coasts. He's adding another.
The principal owner of the Milwaukee Brewers will become the second-biggest shareholder in the Norwich City soccer club, currently belonging to the English Football Championship League one notch below the Premier League.
The club is based in the county of Norfolk, on the east side of England next to the North Sea. Norwich has been on a yo-yo path between the Premier League and EFL over the past decade-plus, most recently winning the 2020-21 EFL championship to earn promotion back into the Premier League but taking last place in the EPL to get kicked back down a level. The club has been promoted three times since 2014 and relegated four times.
Norwich City's record is 5-2-1, in second place in the league standings.
Attanasio's investment of 10 million pounds (more than $11.5 million) was approved by the club's other stakeholders Sept. 12, paving the way for him to purchase nearly 16% of the franchise, a segment previously owned by Michael Foulger. Attanasio, who turns 65 later this month, will become the first overseas owner in club history.
His appointment to the board is pending one final sign-off from the English Football League.
"It is clear from our many meetings with him, along with his approach to running his sports team in the U.S., that we share the same values and ethos,” Norwich City executive director Zoe Ward said.
"Mark has been the driving force behind their data-orientated approach and our football department is one of the areas who are looking forward to learning from his Major League Baseball model."
Attanasio purchased the Brewers before the 2005 season for $223 million, and Forbes' most recent valuation of the franchise puts the Brewers' worth at $1.28 billion.
JR Radcliffe can be reached at (262) 361-9141 or jradcliffe@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JRRadcliffe.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Brewers owner Mark Attanasio approved to buy stake in Norwich City
