Traffic Sports has announced that three Brazilian investors have acquired the Fort Lauderdale Strikers North American Soccer League (NASL) team, reports, www.sportspromedia.com/. Paulo Cesso, Ricardo Geromel and Rafael Bertani have bought the club for an undisclosed amount. The three will hold almost equal stakes in the club, but Cesso, an entrepreneur and investor in the education field, will be the majority owner, as per NASL rules.
Bertani also works in the education sector, while Geromel specialises in agricultural commodities training, integrated logistics and plastics.
The new ownership group said it will take over at the conclusion of the current season, with Sao Paulo-founded Traffic Sports continuing to act as a strategic partner.
Traffic Sports' US division revived the Strikers, which in their original guise fielded the likes of Pele, Gordon Banks and Gerd Muller, in 2011.
"Over the nine years since we brought professional soccer back to South Florida, we have spearheaded the rebirth of the Strikers and the NASL and humbly contributed to changing the landscape and accelerating the growth of soccer in North America," said Aaron Davidson, president of Traffic Sports and chairman of the NASL board of governors.
"After an intense process of reviewing over ten candidates for the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, we are convinced that the new ownership group led by Paulo Cesso, Ricardo Geromel, and Rafael Bertani are the destined torchbearers to elevate the team to ever-increasing heights.
"They are well-funded, successful entrepreneurs who are passionate about soccer and education and are enchanted by South Florida and the rich history of the Strikers."
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