multi-faceted holding company, Holdimo, has acquired a 29.85 percent stake worth 20 million Euros ($23.9 million) in popular Portuguese soccer club, Sporting Clube de Portugal (SCP) also known as Sporting Lisbon.

In a recent statement filed with the Portuguese Securities Market Commission (CMVM), Sporting Lisbon said that “the transaction was carried out on 21 November last year and, as a result, the capital of the public limited company was increased from 47 million Euros to 67 million Euros.”

Holdimo is an Angolan based holding company owned by a group of local business people.

The statement added that “the capital increase was carried out by incorporating a credit of the same amount 20 million euros held by Holdimo – Participações e Investimentos”.

Sporting Lisbon was founded in Lisbon on 1 July 1906 and is one of the “Três Grandes” (The Big Three) football clubs in Portugal. With more than 100,000 registered club members, its teams, athletes and supporters are often nicknamed Leões, meaning The Lions.

The football club is one of the founding members of the Primeira Liga in 1934 together with Benfica and Porto. It has never been relegated from the First Division of Portuguese football.

Sporting Lisbon is the third most successful Portuguese football club with 44 titles in Portuguese domestic competitions and one International title. It won a total of 18 Primeira Liga titles, 15 Portuguese Cups, four Champions of Portugal titles and seven Portuguese Super Cup titles. It also won the 1963-64 European Cup Winners’ Cup.

By George Mpofu