What are the biggest private football clubs in Central Europe?
Prague, Czech Republic – When it comes to world football, Europe is no doubt the most gifted continent. Many great players and teams have been produced, and it has the most individual Ballon d’Or winners and countries with the most world cup trophies.
However, football in Central European countries is not as big as in places like England, Germany, Italy and Spain. Only several football clubs like Slavia Prague and Red Bull Salzburg can appear in Europe’s list of the top 50 clubs.
A big difference you’ll notice in Central Europe is ownership. Most clubs in countries like the Czech Republic and Austria are managed by fans. But, in recent years an increasing number of the best clubs have also had private owners.
Private owners often come with strategic visions and professional management. This ensures the clubs can enjoy multiple revenue streams and be self-sufficient. Consequently, innovation and sustainability in football clubs are enhanced.
Also, private ownership brings a different perspective to partnerships. They can partner with many other brands across different industries. For example, many football clubs partner with online sports betting and casino brands. Clubs like Real Madrid, West Ham, and Newcastle once had online casino brands on their jerseys. These online casinos offer real money games and can be found on sites like here.
Commonly called Sparta Praha, AC Sparta Prague is one of the most successful football clubs in Central Europe and the Czech Republic. The club has won a record 37 league titles, with their most recent victory in the 2022/23 season. Being the Czech champions, they qualify for the UEFA Champions League 2023/24.
Although, the club hasn’t been getting it easy in UEFA competitions. For instance, they were charged by UEFA in 2021 over a racism row. However, the charge was later reviewed and the club was cleared of all charges.
Sparta Praha is jointly owned by J&T Credit Investment (60%) and Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky (40%). Founded in 1993, J&T Credit Investment is one of the biggest investment groups in neighbouring Slovakia. It invests mainly in the energy sector, health care, media, financial services, and sports. The company made its investment in Sparta Prague in 2004.
Founded in 1892, SK Slavia Prague is one of the top football clubs in the Czech Republic alongside archrivals Sparta. Also known as Slavia Praha, it is the second most successful club in the Czech Republic. The club has 21 league titles, with recent successes in 2018/19, 2019/20, 2020/21, and 2021/22. In 2015, CEFC China Energy Company acquired the team, but later sold it to Sinobo Group and CITIC Group in 2018, which are the current owners of the club.
Slavia Praha qualified for the Champions League group stage in 2007/08 for the first time in their history. The club also reached the Europa League quarter-finals in 2019, and they qualified for the group stage in the Champions League in 2020/21 for the second time in their history. They also set the record for the longest unbeaten Czech league run at 54 matches between 2020 and 2021.
Previously known as SV Austria Salzburg, this is an Austrian professional football club based in Wals Siezenheim. The club was founded in 1933 and won its first Austrian league title in 1994. Recently, the club has dominated Austrian football, winning the last 10 Austrian Bundesliga titles in a row.
In 2005, the club was purchased by Red Bull, a prominent Austrian conglomerate known for its diverse portfolio. The name was then changed to FC Red Bull Salzburg.
Red Bull Salzburg is a good example of the benefits of private ownership of football clubs. Before the takeover in 2005, the club was run by fans. It had only won 3 Austrian titles, with the last in 1997. After the rebranding, it bagged 14 titles, including the recent 10-in-a-row feat. The club has also won eight Austrian cups since then.
