Brazilian Alexandre Pato has joined a growing list of football stars who have moved from the pitch into club ownership after an investment group he is involved with acquired a controlling stake in English side Northampton Town.
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Sports Alpha Capital acquired a 70% stake in Northampton Town Ventures in September 2026. The company holds the controlling interest in Northampton Town.
Pato is one of the group’s investors and is expected to take up a position on the club’s board. The former Milan and Chelsea striker joins a number of other former players who have entered English football ownership.
David Beckham joined the Salford City project in 2019 by purchasing a stake in the club, joining his former Manchester United teammates from the “Class of ’92,” who had begun investing in the club in 2014.
In May 2025, Beckham and former teammate Gary Neville led a new investment group that acquired the club.
Salford have risen from the lower tiers of English football to the professional leagues since the “Class of ’92” became involved, while Beckham has another club ownership venture as one of the owners of MLS side Inter Miami.
Luka Modrić joined the ownership group at Swansea City in April 2025, becoming a minority investor and co-owner of the club.
Zaha: AFC Croydon Athletic
Wilfried Zaha returned to the area where he grew up through his ownership of AFC Croydon Athletic, becoming a co-owner alongside British rapper Stormzy and businessman Danny Young.
Zaha grew up in Croydon, south London, before beginning his professional career with Crystal Palace.
Hector Bellerin joined the ownership group at Forest Green Rovers in 2020, becoming the club’s second-largest shareholder.
The former Arsenal player’s involvement was in line with his interest in environmental issues, with Forest Green known for its sustainability initiatives and efforts to reduce football’s environmental impact.
Cesar Azpilicueta invested in Hashtag United in 2017 after being attracted by the club’s project and its vision of building an engaged community around the team.
Hashtag represents a different model, having started as a football project on YouTube before progressing through the English football pyramid.
Andy Carroll combined playing and ownership at Dagenham & Redbridge after becoming a shareholder in the club.
Dagenham confirmed in February 2026 that the English striker had formally joined its ownership structure, after announcing his involvement as both a player and owner in July 2025.
Eric Cantona took a different approach to traditional club takeovers by becoming a co-owner of FC United of Manchester.
The club is owned by its members, with each member holding one voting share under the principle of “one member, one vote.”
The club was founded in 2005 by Manchester United supporters, with the Glazer family’s takeover of Manchester United serving as the main catalyst for its creation.
Mark Palios also returned to his former club, Tranmere Rovers, through ownership after he and his wife, Nicola, acquired a controlling stake in 2014.
Palios previously played for Tranmere and later served as chief executive of the Football Association.
Resource: Al-Ghad.
