“We don’t have a hierarchy of clubs - this is not a pyramid-type model,” Joshua Wander insisted after 777 Partners completed its purchase of a 64.7% majority stake in Hertha Berlin last month. “This is really about preserving the independence and the deep and rich histories of the individual clubs. We want to provide our clubs with the tools so that they can all be the best.”
It’s been almost five years since the Miami-based private investment firm established by Wander and his partner Steven Pasko in 2015 made its first foray in the world of football by purchasing a minority stake in Spanish club Sevilla. It has since completed full takeovers of Genoa in Italy, Standard Liège in Belgium and Red Star in France, and taken 70% stakes in the Australian club Melbourne Victory and Brazil’s Vasco de Gama.
