Maccabi Haifa Owner Yaakov Shahar May Sell Club Amidst $100 Million Price Tag
Translated & summarized from Ice by baba
Maccabi Haifa owner Yaakov Shahar is reportedly looking to sell the club for approximately $100 million, a price tag questioned by commentators. Tech entrepreneur Tom Livne is attempting to assemble a buyer group but faced rejections from prominent businessmen Assaf Rappaport and Eyal Waldman. The club's owners have hired investment bank Raine Group to find buyers, who are now exploring international investors.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Maccabi Haifa owner Yaakov Shahar is reportedly seeking around $100 million for the club.
- Commentator Moshe Primo dismissed the $100 million valuation as unrealistic for an Israeli football club.
- Tom Livne is leading efforts to form a buyer group but was rejected by Assaf Rappaport and Eyal Waldman.
- Shahar and his partners have hired investment bank Raine Group to find potential buyers.
- Raine Group is reportedly considering international investors as part of the sale process.
The potential sale of Israeli football club Maccabi Haifa has sparked debate, with owner Yaakov Shahar reportedly seeking around $100 million (over 300 million shekels) for the team. This valuation has been met with skepticism, as commentator Moshe Primo argued that no Israeli football club is worth such a sum, comparing the demand to asking a billion dollars for a million-dollar apartment.
During a discussion on Radio 103FM, former player and Shahar confidant Rafi Osmo expressed the personal difficulty of the potential sale, emphasizing that Shahar's motivation is not financial but rather to ensure the club's continued success at the top of Israeli football. Osmo, who has been with Shahar for 42 years, shared his deep personal connection to the owner and the club.
Tech entrepreneur Tom Livne, who is reportedly leading a group of potential buyers, revealed that prominent Israeli businessmen Assaf Rappaport and Eyal Waldman declined his invitations to join the acquisition. Livne, founder and CEO of AI unicorn Verbit, acknowledged that Shahar's asking price is high for the Israeli market.
Shahar, 84, and his partners, the heirs of Israel Kaz, have hired the American investment bank Raine Group to find buyers for their full stake in the club. Raine Group is reportedly exploring international options, including non-Jewish investors, as they continue their search for a buyer.
Livne, a lifelong Maccabi Haifa fan, also noted that Rappaport, co-founder and CEO of cybersecurity firm Wiz, and Waldman, founder of Mellanox Technologies, are not interested in investing in football due to their business and personal priorities, despite their significant financial capabilities.