Cambodian businessman ‘to buy Polish giants’
Joe Curtin | Publication date 21 December 2018 | 10:10 ICT
A CAMBODIAN businessman is set to become the saviour of financially beleaguered Polish football giants Wisla Krakow after recent reports that a Cambodian-British consortium is closing in on a takeover of the club.

The syndicate is reportedly led by Ly Vanna, a previously unknown Cambodian businessman.

A conditional agreement with a Luxembourg-British syndicate of investment funds was signed on Tuesday and will be finalised in the coming days, said Sport Company Wisla Krakow, Reuters reported.

“As far as I am concerned, an agreement was signed today with an investment fund, behind which are Cambodian investors,” president of the city of Krakow Jacek Majchrowski told Reuters.

“The fund is specialised in restructuring and then selling.”

A club spokeswoman declined to comment to Reuters on Wisla’s new owners.

The details of the contract are strictly confidential, news site PolandIN reported. The contract will become effective over the next few days.

Founded in 1906, Wisla are one of the most successful sides in Polish football, having won the Polish top-flight Ekstraklasa 14 times, most recently in 2011.

The new owners have pledged to pay $3.2 million by next Friday, with the rest of the short-term debt to then be dealt with, PolandIN reported. A further $34.8 million has been promised to be invested over the next 12 months to save the club.

Cambodian tycoon Vanna is said to own shares in Czech giants Slavia Praga and Portuguese top-flight outfit Vitoria Guimaraes, according to football agent Adam Pietrowski, likely Wisła’s new sports director.

He also has shares in MLS side New York City and Japan’s Yokohama FC, and others in Argentina and Brazil, PolandIN reported.

Aside from this, little is known about the investors.
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/sport/cam ... ish-giants

It seems that the Cambodian media-shy tycoon Mr Vanna may have French nationality.

December 24, 2018
Cambodian magnate set to acquire European football club
Ly Vanna, a little-known French-Cambodian businessman, is said to be close to finalising a deal to acquire Polish football club Wisla Krakow.

The reports were first revealed by Polish sports publication Przegląd Sportowy and were given further momentum after Vanna was pictured in the stands during the match between Wisla Kraków and Lech Poznan.

On Saturday afternoon, Mr. Vanny, Mats Hartling of Noble Capital Partners, and football agent Adam Pietrowski met with President of Krakow Jacek Majchrowski at the Krakow City Hall.

Vanna hid from assembled journalists, covering his face with an umbrella.

“Mr. Vanna is very sensitive to light and cameras,” said Pietrowski, adding that all questions would be answered at a press conference in January.

Vanna, backed by a Cambodian-British consortium, is said to have offered to pay off as much as $3.2 million of the club’s debt as well as inject $34.8 million in an attempt to return the side to its former glory.

Despite his great wealth, little is known about the enigmatic magnate who heads the Alelega fund in Luxembourg Sàrl. He is understood to be associated with the Cambodian royal family.'
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50562012/c ... ball-club/

January 7, 2019
Cambodian tycoon backs out of Wisla Krakow deal
A multi-million dollar deal in which a Cambodian business magnate was expected to acquire a Polish football club has collapsed, according to local media.

According to the Wisla Sport Association, Khmer-French businessman Ly Vanna and Noble Capital Partners Ltd had failed to meet their requirement to settle a club debt by the December 28 deadline.

“On 2 January 2019, the takeover contract of Wisla Krakow by Vanna Ly and Mats Hartling was invalidated. This means that the Wisla Krakow Sports Association remains the only legal shareholder of the club,” reads a statement published to the clubs website.
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50566231/c ... akow-deal/

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