Embattled Hertha BSC investor Lars Windhorst has found a buyer for his shares in Bundesliga club. The company “777 Partners” from Miami takes over the 64.7 percent of the billionaire’s stake. The new investor is certainly not an unknown in the football world.
Windhorst sold his shares in Hertha BSC to the Miami-based company: “Tennor Holdings have agreed that 777 Partners will acquire Tennor’s 64.7 percent stake in Hertha BSC GmbH & Co KGaA,” according to Tennor’s statement, which was obtained by Deutsche Presse-Agentur. No further details have been disclosed so far about the amount paid.
Speaking to Sport1, Windhorst welcomed the sale: “We are giving our Hertha shares to an internationally known football investor with a great deal of experience in the industry. Hertha BSC can benefit greatly from this new shareholder. 777 partners don’t just bring investment but also a lot of professional experience in our industry and Hertha will be part of an impressive network of well-known football clubs. The investment by 777 Partners is a step towards a successful future for Hertha BSC,” the CEO of Tennor Holding commented.
777 Partners which was founded by Josh Wander and Steven Pasko in Miami in 2015 has substantial ties to the football market. The portfolio of 777 Partners includes Genoa in Italy, Vasco da Gama in Brazil, Standard Liege in Belgium, Red Star in France, Sevilla in Spain and Melbourne Victory in Australia. In addition, the company is also active in other lines of business such as aviation, insurance and personal loans.
The exit of Windhorst will be little surprise to observers of the club. The 46-year-old has invested €374m in Hertha BSC since 2019 but has been unable to stamp his mark on the club. Windhorst has been locked in ongoing disputes with the club’s board, in particular then club president Werner Gegenbauer, who this year was replaced by former ultra Kay Bernstein. The relationship however has deteriorated further and Windhorst has been seeking to move on.
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Current manager Sandro Schwarz is the club’s seventh coach since 2019 and that list includes some formidable names including Felix Magath and Jürgen Klinsmann. The results on the pitch have barely improved with the club finishing 11th, 10th, 14th and 16th in their past four seasons, missing the stated target of Champions League by some margin.
Windhorst’s business empire, which includes real estate and a shipping yard, is currently locked in a number of cases of litigation and financial difficulties and he has been seeking an exit from the Hertha Berlin investment for some time.
GGFN | Ben McFadyean
