Atlético Madrid announced a new-look board as part of the takeover by Apollo Sports Capital, with the group meeting for the first time in an Extraordinary General Shareholders’ Meeting on Thursday at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, attended by shareholders representing 98.66% of the share capital.
Those present included some familiar faces, such as Enrique Cerezo and Miguel Ángel Gil Marín, and also some new identities who will be key to deciding the future of the club. Here, we take a look at each
one individually.
Enrique Cerezo, as President of Atlético Madrid, has led the club since 2003 and oversees its institutional leadership and strategic direction. During his presidency the club has experienced one of the most successful periods in its history, winning multiple domestic and international titles while establishing itself as one of Europe’s leading football clubs. Alongside his role in football, Cerezo has had a long career in the Spanish film industry as a producer and distributor.
Miguel Ángel Gil Marín, as Chief Executive Officer of Atlético Madrid, is responsible for the club’s executive management and long-term strategic development. He oversees the organisation’s business operations, financial management, international growth and major infrastructure projects, including the development and expansion of the club’s commercial and sporting activities. Controversially, he inherited the club from his father, the infamous Jesús Gil y Gil.
Pablo Jiménez de Parga, partner at Garrigues, will continue to serve as Secretary of the Board of Directors of Atlético Madrid. A specialist in corporate law, mergers and acquisitions and private equity transactions, he advises the club on governance, regulatory compliance and corporate structuring, and plays a key role in the legal oversight of major strategic agreements and investments.
Antonio Vázquez-Guillén is a Spanish corporate lawyer and business adviser with extensive experience in complex commercial transactions working at A&O Shearman. He has advised companies and investors on mergers, acquisitions and financing arrangements across multiple sectors, including infrastructure, finance and sports-related businesses.
Javier Valle is a Spanish business executive with experience in corporate finance and advisory roles connected to the sports and media sectors. His work has involved supporting investment transactions and financial structuring in Spain, particularly in projects involving major institutions, sports organisations and private investors.
David Villa needs little introduction as a former player widely regarded as one of the greatest strikers in the history of Spanish football. During his career he played for clubs such as Valencia CF, FC Barcelona and New York City FC. He played for Atlético Madrid in 2013/14, scoring 15 goals in 47 games as the Rojiblancos won the league title. He also was a key member of the Spain national football team that won the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and he is the country’s all-time top scorer. Following his retirement, Villa has developed business ventures in sport through the DV7 Group, focusing on football academies, investment and advisory work within the global sports industry. His son, Luca, plays for the club’s academy.
Robert Givone is a Senior Partner at Apollo Global Management and a senior figure within the firm’s European investment operations. Based in London, he has extensive experience leading private equity investments across sectors including infrastructure, telecommunications and media, and has overseen numerous large transactions across Europe. He previously played tennis professionally, reaching position 347 in the world.
Tristram Leach is a Partner at Apollo Global Management within the European investment team. His work centres on evaluating and structuring complex private equity investments and supporting the execution and management of Apollo’s European portfolio.
Jim Miller is a Senior Partner at Ares Management and one of the firm’s long-standing investment professionals. Though his focus now is on developing sports and entertainment properties, hroughout his career he has been involved in numerous large-scale transactions across a range of industries while contributing to the strategic oversight of the firm’s portfolio companies.
Sam Porter is an investment professional at Apollo Global Management working within the European private equity team. His role includes financial analysis, due diligence and supporting the execution of investment transactions across multiple sectors. He will focus heavily on the Ciudad del Deporte (Sports City) project, but he also has experience in leadership of football clubs, including Swansea City AFC in the United Kingdom and DC United in the United States.
Antoine Bonnier is the Chief Executive Officer of Quantum Pacific LLP, which holds a 25 percent stake in Atlético de Madrid. He focuses on sourcing, executing and managing investments across Europe, particularly in sectors such as media, telecommunications and digital infrastructure.
Amit Singh is an executive at Quantum Pacific, involved in the holding company’s European investment activities. His work focuses on transaction analysis, structuring deals and supporting the evaluation of strategic investment opportunities. He serves as the Executive Director of FC Famalicão in Portugal and oversees operations within Aston Martin’s Formula 1 racing team.
