The rebirth of the Monaco FC brand
The acquisition of the French club by Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev aims to revive the club's winning past and make it one of the leading clubs in Europe within a few years.
Recently, the world's sports media has been reporting extensively on AS Monaco FC. This is all due to the entry of Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev as the main shareholder of the French club, which is located in the principality of Monaco, France.
With a promise to invest around 100 million Euros, Rybolovlev acquired 66,67% of the shares. The remainder stayed with the MSP group.
"I think the club has enormous potential. I hope to be able to develop all of that potential, both nationally and in Europe. Having lived in Monaco for some time now, I understand that this team is one of the main symbols of the Principality, with all its pride and tradition," declared the Russian.
The acquisition aims to revive the club's winning past and become one of the leading clubs in Europe within a few years.
Expectations and hiring
Perhaps the biggest benchmark for the new executive is rival Paris Saint-Germain, which in less than two seasons has already won a national title and reached the Champions League quarter-finals this year.
To achieve this, PSG made high-value signings such as Ibrahimovic, Thiago Silva, and Lucas, for example.
Monaco competed in the second division of the French championship in the 2012/13 season and managed to get promoted to Ligue 1. Next season, their ambition is to return to the top flight and compete for the title with the main contenders (PSG and Lyon). This would be their eighth national title. Furthermore, the 2003/04 team reached the Champions League final, but lost to Porto (Portugal).
If expectations are high, then signings need to have the same strategic direction. The signings of James Rodriguez, João Moutinho, Ricardo Carvalho, and the most notable acquisition of Falcao Garcia (formerly of Atlético de Madrid) have already been confirmed. It is speculated that the fee paid for the Colombian striker is around €45 million (R$119,8 million) for a 5-year contract.
Marketing actions
Since the expectations of the "new millionaires" are high, marketing efforts follow suit. In recent weeks, we've seen a demonstration of the importance of these activations for the club.
We will likely see more announcements of new Monaco signings in the coming days. But it's worth noting that the so-called "new rich" come and go in world football. The big question is how much investment will be needed for the club to remain one of the top teams in the world.