[mkdf_dropcaps type=”normal” color=”#f55549″ background_color=””]4[/mkdf_dropcaps]9ers Enterprises have increased their ownership in Leeds United, boosting their ownership stake to 37% of the English football club.

An entity affiliated with the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL, 49ers Enterprises made an agreement with Leeds to increase their ownership stake by 22%, adding to the 15% they have held since 2018.

The deal sees 49ers Enterprises president and current Leeds board member, Paraag Marathe, become the vice chairman of Leeds United.

Chairman and controlling owner of Leeds United, Andrea Radrizzani, remains the majority shareholder of the English top-tier club.

In a statement, Radrizzani said: “Now that we have achieved promotion and made a positive start to the new campaign, there is no better time to be looking ahead to the future, as we aim to take this football club to the next level, initially by becoming an established Premier League side before chasing our dreams of taking Leeds United back into Europe.”

“We must also be focused on reaching our potential commercially and developing Elland Road and our training facilities,” he said.

Leed’s new vice chairman added that he is excited for the rapid and continued growth of the club.

“Our 49ers Enterprises team has always shared Andrea’s [Radrizzani] vision for constructing a powerful and winning club in the most competitive football league in the world, and the experience of the last three seasons has been more exhilarating than we could have ever imagined,” Marathe said.

“The hard work and bold leadership demonstrated by Andrea [Radrizzani]  and his talented team has restored Leeds United’s rightful place in the Premier League and we look forward to playing an even bigger role in supporting their efforts to climb the table this year and into the future,” he said.

Leeds United have enjoyed success on and off the field in the years since the recent collaboration between the 49ers and Radrizzani in 2018.

After falling to the third division of English football in 2007 due to financial struggles, the club had to rebuild.

They eventually earnt promotion to the Premier League from the Championship at the conclusion of the 2019-20 season, as well as posting their best commercial revenues to date.

Leeds are also not the only English Premier League club backed by American shareholders.

Notable US majority shareholders include Stan Kroenke at Arsenal, ALK Capital at Burnley, Fenway Sports Group at Liverpool, and The Glazer Family at Manchester United.