NFL Great J.J. Watt Enjoys Honeymoon Period As Espanyol Shareholder

Forbes

20 hours ago

Dawn is breaking at Espanyol in Spain's La Liga. Fans of the Parakeets, a team less followed and with more grounded aims than local colossus Barcelona, hope it won't be a false one.
Meanwhile, ex-defensive end J.J. Watt has a role to play. Now turning his attention towards being an NFL game analyst this coming season at CBS Sports, dissecting a game he knows inside out, Watt got a first taste of another new role—in soccer—last weekend. The 36-year-old looked on from the stands, fists pumping, as Espanyol fought back to beat Atlético Madrid in the surprise result from the opening matchday.
The former Houston Texans player is a shareholder of Velocity Sports Limited (VSL), an investment branch of ALK Capital, which is led by U.S. managing partner Alan Pace. VSL acquired Espanyol from the Rastar Group, controlled by the Chinese businessman Chen Yensheng, for a reported €130 million ($152 million) in July (though Rastar retains some input). VSL also controls Premier League club Burnley.
Much optimism surrounds Watt's arrival. El Mundo has gone as far as calling him Espanyol's new idol (Spanish). Much of that is down to the American ingratiating himself after saying a couple of phrases in Catalan, enjoying a beer with supporters outside the stadium, and getting behind the players inside it. Watt says he can't return there until February because of work commitments on Sundays, yet it's already a shift from the previous owners, who were rarely present and oversaw two relegations despite initially eyeing a place in the Champions League.
Is The Future Bright For Espanyol?
There's a peculiarity with ownership in soccer today. Many, even those who attend every fixture or know their side's history back to front, will understand that a foreign executive arriving on the scene doesn't. But if they stay involved, not least by investing in the squad, that's good enough. Very much the face of VSL in Espanyol right now, Watt has made a good impression. Then again, it's the honeymoon period, and at a club whose main target will still be avoiding demotion to the second division.
How Espanyol does under U.S. guidance in the long term is what matters.
It's worth noting that while Burnley and Espanyol are part of the same investment group, and therefore could be deemed part of the growing multi-club ownership model, the Spanish entity stressed that each will remain independent. Still, when interests are diversified, does Espanyol become the priority, or is that consolidating Burnley's place in the Premier League? Then, there's a cultural angle; Watt may have donned the blue and white scarf, but VSL is adapting to a different division in a different country, and everything that entails.
U.S. Links To Spanish Soccer Are Tightening
Of course, U.S. majority ownership in European soccer—Spain in this instance—is nothing new. Notably, top-tier Mallorca has former tennis player Andy Kohlberg at the top, while Leganés—relegated to the Segunda in 2024/25—is led by Blue Crow Sports CEO Jeff Luhnow. All the while, the Spanish soccer federation (RFEF) has approved controversial plans to host a first La Liga game on U.S. soil (Miami) this December.
As the games and seasons progress, with Espanyol set on taking more scalps after the fast start against Atlético, it will become clearer whether the Catalans benefit from their end of the deal. At least the initial signs are promising.