Partners of Vitória SC approve sale of 17% of SAD to V Sports

Nthe extraordinary general assembly held in the Vimaranense Sports Pavilion Unit, which lasted more than six hours and counted with 19 interventions of associates, 717 partners voted in favor of the sale and 468 voted against, remaining six blank votes and four null, announced the president of the table of the general assembly, Luís Filipe Silva, after the act performed by secret vote.

Following the decision made, the company holding the Aston Villa, an English Premier League club that competes for the Champions League, will deliver two million euros (ME) to the Vimaranense club, which, in turn, will apply it to SAD's capital and invest directly 1.8 ME in SAD, in an operation involving a total of 3.8 ME.

The approval of the 17% share transfer restores the scenario approved at the extraordinary general meeting of March 3, when the majority of the members present voted in favour of selling 46% of the shares to V Sports, on payment of 5.5 ME and an additional donation of two ME to apply in infrastructure.

The Egyptian Nassef Sawiris and the American Wesley Edens, billionaire owners of V Sports, took seats on the Board of Directors of the Victorian SAD on May 23, 2023 and left office 37 days later, on June 29.

The fund then reduced participation in the SAD to 29% to meet “all UEFA determinations” as to the “independence of both sports societies”, as Victoria then reported, and withdrew the donation of two ME for infrastructure, which now returns, with the replacement of participation by 46%.

During the three sessions of clarification to the members, promoted throughout October, in the auditorium of Stadium D. Afonso Henriques, the legal team of SAD vimaranense clarified that the 17% newly acquired by V Sports will be managed by a ‘blind trust’.

The legal figure allows an independent entity to turn that percentage of SAD and exercise the right to vote without receiving instructions from the owner, to avoid possible conflicts of interest between Vitória, the majority shareholder, with 50.84% of the capital, and V Sports, guaranteed compliance with UEFA's multi-property rule.

The president of the club and SAD, Rui Rodrigues, also said that the club will hold three seats on the board of directors and V Sports will recover the two that it occupied, having revealed the names of future administrators.

The company owned by Nassef Sawiris, Wes Edens and now by the U.S. investment fund Atairos will be represented by Spanish director Roberto Olabe, Aston Villa, after exercising this position at Real Sociedad, and Canadian Bashir Lebada, president of the women's team of the Birmingham club.

The agreement between the Minhoto club and V Sports also provides for the commitment to develop, within 60 working days, “a restructuring plan of part of the debt” of SAD, between 20 ME and 30 ME, after the Vimarans concluded the season 2025/26 with a total liability exceeding 85 ME, a net liability above 57 ME and equity of 37 ME negative.

The partnership also contemplates the possibility of the Vitória de Guimarães receiving up to six players from Aston Villa in each season, two for the main team, two for the B team, who militates in League 3, and two in the sub-19 team.

The agreement also provides that “strategic decisions” must be approved by at least 60% of the share capital, which requires agreement between Vitoria and V Sports.

The SAD of Vitória de Guimarães was formed on April 10, 2013, with Mário Ferreira, a Portuguese businessman based in South Africa, as a majority shareholder, and the club with 40% of the capital, although with some special rights, such as vetoing changes to the SAD statutes.

On October 1, 2021, the emblem vimaranense announced the purchase of the shares held by MAF, Mário Ferreira, corresponding to 56.4% of the share capital, by 6.5 ME, then being held by more than 96% of the capital.