Romanian football legend Gheorghe Hagi is negotiating to sell part of his football club Viitorul Constanta to local investors Dragos and Adrian Paval, the owners of the biggest do-it-yourself retailer in Romania – Dedeman. They are also among the biggest sponsors of Romanian tennis star Simona Halep, who recently won the Wimbledon title.

Hagi’s former colleague in Romania’s national team, Gica Popescu, who is currently president of FC Viitorul, is negotiating the sale, according to local sports newspaper Gazeta Sporturilor.

Popescu revealed that the sale of a stake in the club is imminent and Hagi confirmed the information, but none of them mentioned who the investors are. FC Viitorul has had good financial results in recent years, mainly from the sale of young players raised at Hagi’s football academy. The most recent transfer is that of Hagi’s son, Ianis, to Belgian club Genk, for about EUR 8 million.

In total, Viitorul has made EUR 35 million from player transfers in the last seven years. The club won the domestic championship in 2017 and Romania’s Cup in 2019.

Dragos and Adrian Paval have been among the most active investors in Romania in recent years, buying into real estate, listed energy companies, and launching an investment fund for SMEs. The money comes mainly from the profits generated by the Dedeman retail chain.

(Photo: Dan Avraham/ Wikipedia)

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