Interview with Chien Lee

Chien Lee is one of the busiest investors in football. In an interview with t-online, he explains how he chooses his clubs – and can't resist a tip against ManCity.

Barnsley FC, FC Thun, KV Oostende, AS Nancy-Lorraine, Esbjerg fB, FC Den Bosch, OGC Nice: the list of professional football clubs in Europe that Chien Lee currently owns or has owned in the past is long - and could soon be even longer will. At the beginning of December, the American entrepreneur confirmed to t-online that he would like to take over a Bundesliga club "sooner or later".
But how does a financial expert, who made his fortune in the hotel industry in particular, end up putting his money into football clubs across Europe? How does he choose his clubs? Lee asks these and other questions in the t-online interview - and explains with a laugh what fundamentally distinguishes him from the owners of the top English club Manchester City.


t-online: Mr. Lee, how was your connection to football before you made your first investment at OGC Nice in 2016?
Chien Lee: I like the sport and have been following it since I was young. However, before taking over OGC Nice, I had no connection to the football business. At that time, I saw above all the opportunities that European football offered me as a financial investor focused on long-term projects, and the development potential of the club.
So the main reason for entering the football business with the takeover of OGC Nice was the prospect of tying up your capital in a long-term investment?
Nice is a traditional French club that is particularly interesting for young talents with its well-run youth academy and the high permeability to the professional area. That's why I chose this club back then, because I see the development of my own players as the quintessence of a long-term investment in the sports business. I don't believe in overnight success. Success requires patience. Also to emphasize this self-image, our first major financial project in Nice was the construction of a modern training ground for the youth teams.


According to which parameters do you select clubs that are suitable for an investment?
The philosophy and the infrastructural state of the youth academy are the first two aspects that we look at with a club that we are interested in. Only then do we take a close look at the current club management and ask ourselves whether we can start our journey together.


To what extent do you deal with the history and the fan scene of the club before the first talks?
You can't be successful with a football club if you don't have the support of the fans behind you. To do this, you always have to be aware of the culture in which the club and its fans operate - and then adapt it as an investor. As the owner, I am expected to behave very differently in Barnsley, England, than is the case, for example, in Oostende, Belgium.

Your portfolio currently includes six clubs in six countries. Which synergy effects should ideally arise between the clubs?
I want each of my current six clubs to function independently of one another and write their own individual story. Nevertheless, I hope for the synergy effects mentioned. I am currently doing this through one person in particular: Gauthier Ganaye.


Gauthier is a young, highly talented football official who I have already entrusted to Barnsley and Nice and currently runs both Oostende and Nancy. He knows the vision and values ​​of my investment company NewCity Capital like no other and can implement them efficiently and cost-effectively at two locations in my network.
Should a hierarchy of the NewCity clubs develop over time or should all clubs act independently of one another and be successful?
There are currently no considerations to classify our clubs according to a pyramid system. At the moment we are mainly busy with economically interlinking the clubs. In other words: if we succeed in winning a sponsor for a club, we can also get him enthusiastic about a second or third club from our network. Ideally, a potential sponsor can advertise their brand on six different jerseys in six different countries. From a marketing perspective, this is arguably our most powerful bargaining chip.

According to consistent media reports, NewCity has so far paid "only" around £40m (approx. €48m, ed.) for the acquisition of its clubs. For comparison: in Manchester City alone, over a billion pounds (approx. 1.2 billion euros) have flowed in the past 15 years. In addition, the purchase of inexpensive Under 24 talents, which are scouted using the "Moneyball" system, is used. When will NewCity go into another round of money and invest in the infrastructure of its clubs?
We're not out to buy trophies (smiles). Our strategy is always subject to the goal of leaving a balanced balance sheet. We're not interested in pumping money into the clubs like crazy. Instead, we use data to consider, on a case-by-case basis, which investments are needed and benefit efficiency. And these are not seasoned, successful professionals who promise supposed success overnight. These are usually young players who show annual development potential.

In addition to private individuals and their companies, like you and NewCity, more and more sovereign wealth funds are getting involved in European football. According to media reports, you prevailed against the City Group, which was supported by the sovereign wealth fund of the United Arab Emirates, when acquiring AS Nancy. What obstacles does such competition bring?
European football clubs are becoming an interesting investment for more and more investors of all kinds. Such investors usually deal with more than one club at a time. In addition to Nancy, I also looked at FC Toulouse, the City Group negotiated with ES Troyes AC parallel to Nancy – which they then finally took over. The fact that we were both interested in the same club really just shows that we at NewCity know what we're doing (laughs).
Finally: The Bundesliga clubs have clearly positioned themselves against a possible Super League. What do you predict as an investor: will the national leagues be just a relic of the past in the future?
The national league – including the Bundesliga – will always be there. I am convinced of that. National competitions are the foundation of football. They are what have made the sport so big across Europe. Without them, football would lose massive importance. In addition, European football already has great opportunities for the continent's top clubs to compete with one another in the Champions League and Europa League. That's also why I don't see any need at all for an idea like the Super League.

Thanks ESR - is this interview recent - and where is it from ?

Two things jumped out:

… long term investment
(Obviously here for the long haul)

…. can’t be successful if you haven’t got the support of the fans.
(Which incredibly they have been able to lose)

From a interview in Germany last week Nudger

Lee, along with his mate Paul "Chubby Brown" Conway, are doing a cracking job at Barnsley and Nancy.

Thank you Chein and Paul. Two cheeks of the same arseoyle

🤣