RedBird Capital Partners' Gerry Cardinale has promised to deliver where he can for Liverpool fans.
One of the major investors in Fenway Sports Group, the owner of Liverpool, has pledged to do everything in his power to satisfy Reds fans.
Gerry Cardinale, the founder of RedBird Capital Partners, led his firm into a $750 million investment in FSG in March, with the New York-based private equity firm taking an 11% stake in the Liverpool owners' overall business empire.
The investment came at a time when the Reds' owners were looking for ways to move forward with their plans for 'FSG 3.0,' as they've dubbed it, but also when the pandemic hat had a negative impact on their sporting properties, particularly Liverpool and the Boston Red Sox.
The RedBird investment was never intended to be used to supplement a transfer fund, but rather to be used to aid future business growth and revenue streams, with the redevelopment of the Anfield Road End in Liverpool, the real estate regeneration around Fenway Park in Boston, and the acquisition of the Pittsburgh Penguins NHL team all aided by RedBird's arrival at the table.
The RedBird investment saw a reshuffle of FSG partners, with James and his business partner Maverick Carter joining the main board, while FSG and RedBird, as well as Liverpool kit partner Nike, came together to invest in James and Carter's blossoming SpringHill Entertainment business.
And Cardinale was also asked about his views on Liverpool this week, stating his role as an investor in FSG and also his views on football fandom and its importance to successful investment in European football.
Over the last 18 months, RedBird's investment in sport has accelerated significantly, with the acquisition of French second-tier side Toulouse, a stake in FSG, a small stake in Spanish side Malaga, a 25% stake in Indian Premier League cricket side Rajasthan Royals, as well as moves into fantasy sports platform Dream11 and the acquisition of ticketing platform SeatGeek via Cardinale's special purpose acquisition company, RedBall, which Cardinale formed with baseball analyti.
Cardinale was asked whether he saw himself as a future Liverpool owner at the Financial Times' Business of Sport Summit in New York in October, and the former Goldman Sachs executive and University of Oxford graduate responded that while it was not part of the plan or the reason for investing, it would be a "privilege," not completely ruling it out in the future.
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