Bakrie Group takes full control of Brisbane Roar

07 February 2012 | Posted in Sports Properties, Soccer, Oceania | By Michael Long

The Bakrie Group, an Indonesian conglomerate, has upped its stake in the Brisbane Roar to become the sole owner of the Hyundai A-League champions.

The group’s sporting investments arm Pelita Jaya Cronus initially acquired a 70 per cent stake in the soccer club in September under a ten-year license. It has now acquired the remaining 30 per cent from the Australian Football Federation (FFA), which took control of the cash-strapped side when the previous owners relinquished their license shortly after the Roar’s 2010/11 league triumph.

Pelita Jaya Cronus, which also controls Indonesian Super League side Pelita Jaya, Belgian Second Division outfit Cercle Sportif Vise and Indonesia Futbol S.A.D in Uruguay, is headed up by Aga Bakrie, a Jakarta-based billionaire educated in Boston who previously served as the seputy manager of the Indonesian under-23 national soccer team.

"The Bakrie Group sees huge potential in the Hyundai A-League as one of Asia's top professional club competitions and naturally we want the Brisbane Roar to be in the forefront of this development," he said.

"We are delighted to invest in a club with an excellent group of players, a great coach and support staff and passionate supporters. Our aim is to develop the Roar into Australia's biggest club and carry that success across Asia. On behalf of the Bakrie Group I thank the FFA for working diligently towards finalising this transaction."

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Hyundai A-League boss Lyall Gorman said: "This is a significant step for the Hyundai A-League with the Brisbane Roar becoming the first Australian professional club with owners from Asia. We can foresee many exciting opportunities ahead for the Roar and Australian football under this relationship with the Bakrie Group, which has extensive investments in football in Asia, Europe, South America and now Australia."

"Best of all the Bakrie Group is full of passionate football people, who will bring an injection of new ideas and insights to our national competition."

The Roar are currently third in the A-League ladder, eight points behind leaders Central Coast Mariners.

An article profiling the owners behind the ten A-League clubs will feature in the April 2012 edition of SportsPro. To subscribe today, click here.