Ranbir Kapoor is not bothered about money, wanted to start a football club, recalls CA: ‘Rishi Kapoor asked who will take care of it?'
In 2014, Ranbir Kapoor, who is an ardent football enthusiast made his dream come true when he bought Mumbai City Football Club. Over the years, his club became the first to win both the League Winners Shield and the ISL cup title in a single season. Eventually, Ranbir's club went on to win the ISL league winners shield twice. Now, after all these years, the actor's chartered accountant as well as club's co-owner Bimal Parekh recalled how exactly they happened to buy the club.
It all started when Bimal Parekh read about an auction of a football team. Knowing Ranbir's love for the game, Bimal saw an opportunity and advised Ranbir to buy the club.
Talking to The Hollywood Reporter, Bimal Parekh said, 'I knew Ranbir was a huge football fan — he'd go to Barcelona for a day just to watch a match. So, when I read about the auction of a football team, I sensed an opportunity. Juhi has been a client for more than 30 years, so I knew cricket was making huge money.'
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While Ranbir was excited about owning a football club, it was Rishi Kapoor who had the final say.
'Ranbir was excited about the idea, so we went to Rishiji, as he was the decision-maker. He was fine with it but wanted to know who'd run the team. I suggested we hire professional, but Rishiji was of the opinion that someone from the family should be there to look after.'
He added, 'It was then that I said I could do it, and he was happy. But he had one question: What will be your fee? I said I'd rather a stake instead! However, it took some time for the game to take off.'
When the actor bought the club, he told PTI, 'It is a moment of great pride for me to be a part of the Indian Super League and to represent the vibrant city of Mumbai. Football has never been far away from my daily life since childhood, and now as a partner in the Indian Super League, I am looking forward to translate my passion into contributing to the growth of the sport.'
In November 2019, City Football Group (CFG) acquired a 65% stake in Mumbai City FC. CFG also owns Manchester City, and New York City FC among the many other clubs around the world. Ranbir Kapoor retained 18% stake while Bimal was left with other 17%.
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