It was on July 14 that the club itself announced that A.Gain was buying the majority stake in Real Zaragoza. At the time, there were still certain hurdles to overcome, issues that have taken longer than expected or required approval from third parties, such as the National Sports Council (CSD). What was not expected in mid-July was to reach October 1 without the deal being completed.
Those around Real Zaragoza suggest that the plan has not changed. A.Gain would take 60% of the share capital, while Jorge Mas and Juan Forcén would control 40%. In principle, the members most closely linked to Atlético de Madrid would leave, at least as far as ownership is concerned.
Guido Baroli, Real Zaragoza general manager. Photo: Pilar Álvarez
In addition, a capital increase is planned, with the new owners contributing 8 million euros. Once the deal is completed, during the first few months, A.Gain would control 75% of the share capital. It would be shortly before the end of the year that it would become the aforementioned 60%, following the investment in which Mas and Forcén would each contribute 7 million euros. A total of 22 million.
KEY ISSUES
At present, A.Gain is managing the day-to-day operations of the SAD, led by the new general manager, Guido Baroli. It has been doing so since July, when the agreement to transfer Real Zaragoza shares was announced, but the investment group is still not the owner. This has been the situation for almost three months.
In any case, several Zaragoza media outlets indicate that the deal is not at risk. Although such a long delay is not common, what usually happens in these cases is that a new extension is granted after the first one has expired. This can be agreed by both parties or granted by the selling party. This outlet asked the SAD about the formula being used, but had not received a response by press time.
As of today, the day-to-day situation at the SAD is shaped by this fact. A.Gain is managing operations and imposing its criteria at Real Zaragoza's offices, but it has not assumed control of the share capital. And this is an important matter.
THE KEY POINTS
The agreement between all the parties requires two vital steps: signing and payment for the shares. The amount for which the Real Zaragoza share capital will be transferred has not been officially disclosed, but its contribution to the capital increase has: 8 million euros. If everything goes according to plan, it is simply a matter of waiting…
