Valencia says Peter Lim sold 42 percent to Pitchwise €100 million
Valencia CF announced on Friday that majority owner Peter Lim has sold a 42 percent stake to Pitchwise Holdings, with the consortium injecting €100 million of new capital into the club. The deal, confirmed in a club statement, marks a fresh share‑holding structure as Valencia prepares for the planned move to the Nou Mestalla stadium.
New investment structure
The agreement is between Meriton Holdings, the current principal shareholder, and Pitchwise Holdings, which will become a significant minority owner. Pitchwise will acquire shares from Meriton, but the exact number of shares and the price paid were not disclosed. The transaction also brings a €100 million capital injection that will be available immediately for direct investment.
The new consortium is composed of family offices and long‑term institutional investors, led by seasoned sports‑industry executives Ann Rodriguez and Corey Woolfolk. Among the backers are George Roberts, co‑founder and co‑president of KKR, and Henry Kravis, also co‑founder and co‑president of KKR. Their involvement signals a shift towards a more financially stable ownership model.
In the official communiqué the club wrote: "Con la entrada de Pitchwise, el futuro del VALENCIA está asegurado" and added that the investors will hold a 42 percent participation. The statement did not specify the percentage of the purchase or the amount Meriton will receive, nor did it give a timeline for the share transfer.
Reactions and future challenges
Kiat Lim, son of Peter Lim and current president of Valencia CF, said: “Valencia CF has attracted great interest, but the Pitchwise team is the only one I truly wanted to explore a partnership with. They bring long‑term investment experience and deep sport‑sector knowledge.” He expressed confidence that the new era will enable the club to achieve great things.
The timing of the deal coincides with the club’s focus on the Nou Mestalla project, a stadium slated to hold 70,000 spectators and expected to open next summer. Club officials described the stadium as the most important milestone of the last century for Valencia.
Former goalkeeper Santiago Cañizares, a club idol, called for a fan‑led boycott of Mestalla to pressure the owners. Speaking on a radio programme, he warned that “the problem is far deeper than losing three points” and questioned whether Peter Lim even follows the team’s matches.
Cañizares added that the owner will only act on the January transfer market when “the whole operation collapses”. The criticism grew after a heavy defeat to Barcelona, which amplified supporter unrest and renewed calls for protests against the current ownership.