By Jaroslaw Adamowski
March 18 – A group of investors from Qatar is considering to invest in Ruch Chorzow. The club could be the first in Poland with an owner from the Middle East.
Deputy Mayor of Chorzow Marcin Michalik met with a delegation from Qatar in late February, Krzysztof Karas, a spokesperson for the municipal authorities, told local daily newspaper Przeglad Sportowy.
Dariusz Smagorowicz, local businessman and chief executive of Ruch, is its largest shareholder, with a 59.6% stake. Other major shareholders in the club include the municipal authorities of Chorzow, with an 11.53% stake in Ruch.
Although the details of the potential deal were not disclosed, Ruch would not be the first Polish club to be sold to a foreign entity. This year, rival Lechia Gdansk was acquired by a Swiss private equity fund W&C Vermögensgesellschaft AG. The company is currently in talks with other potential investors interested in buying a stake in the club, according to information released by Lechia.
Set up in 1927, the Chorzow-based club currently plays in the Ekstraklasa, the top tier of Poland’s professional football league. From 1933 to 1989, the club won the Polish championship 14 times.
Ruch’s stadium currently has a capacity of 10,000 though the club last year selected a design for a new stadium. Construction work at the 12,000-seat facility is expected to start in the second half of this year.
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