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- Duo previously have pursued NFL’s Denver Broncos and Washington Commanders
- Dea Spanos Berberian reportedly looks to sell 24% stake in Chargers
Clearlake Capital co-founders Behdad Eghbali and Jose Feliciano are contemplating buying a minority stake in the National Football League’s (NFL) Los Angeles Chargers, according to Bloomberg.
The duo are said to be considering whether to make a personal investment in the franchise owned by the Spanos family. Eghbali and Feliciano were previously reported as suitors for the NFL’s Denver Broncos, before the franchise’s US$4.65 billion sale to a consortium led by Walmart heir Rob Walton was completed last year.
According to the Washington Post, the pair’s attempt to buy a 40 per cent stake of the Washington Commanders in 2020 for US$900 million was blocked by majority owner Dan Snyder.
Eghbali and Feliciano have major sports investments via Clearlake, namely co-ownership of English soccer giants Chelsea, forming part of the consortium led by US businessman Todd Boehly that bought the club last year for UK£4.25 billion (US$5.23 billion).
Eghbali and Feliciano’s links to the Chargers come after Sportico reported that Dea Spanos Berberian was looking to sell her 24 per cent stake in the team, with nine per cent being her share in the Spanos family trust, which makes up 36 per cent of the Chargers’ ownership.
The remaining 15 per cent would come from her own individual stake in the NFL outfit. During Berbarian’s legal attempt to force the Chargers’ sale in 2021, it was revealed that her other siblings have a right of first refusal to buy her 15 per cent ownership stake, meaning any sale of shares would require their permission.
Forbes most recently valued the Chargers at US$3.88 billion, ranking them as the 20th most valuable NFL franchise.
