Messi reaches preliminary agreement to become Eldense's largest shareholder

Leo Messi takes another step in his foray into sports management and is close to becoming the largest shareholder of Eldense, a club that plays in Segunda División.

## A new project in Segunda

**Leo Messi**'s entry into sports management is expanding. After acquiring **Unió Esportiva Cornellà**, a Primera Federación club, last April, the Argentine star appears close to taking a qualitative leap. The next step would be the acquisition of **Eldense**, an entity that plays in Segunda División. This operation adds to his growing interest in investing in Spanish football from a business perspective.

**Eldense** was promoted last season to the second tier of Spanish football, with the ambition of consolidating its place there. The club, which has an average of **3,500 season ticket holders** at its stadium, the Pepico Amat, is in a period of transition. The sporting management has decided to dismiss its coach, **Claudio Barragán**, after a start to the season with two defeats and two draws, a move that could be linked to the imminent sale.

## The TH group transfers control

**Eldense** has been owned by the Colombian group **TH** for the past year. This group, led in the city by **Carolina Holguín** as president, acquired the club last year from **Pascual Pérez**. According to recent reports, Messi's offer would cover **100% of the club's shares**. The operation is pending a thorough financial audit and the relevant authorization from the Consejo Superior de Deportes.

The president, **Carolina Holguín**, had already informed the mayor of Elda, **Rubén Alfaro**, of the imminent sale operation. This prior information would have facilitated the dismissal of the coach, clearing the way for the new owners. Investing in a Segunda División club like Eldense represents a different challenge from Cornellà, given the greater financial demands and El futbol español's financial control.