Aston Villa owners V Sports in talks to buy controlling stake in French club FC Annecy

May 9, 2026 - 01:48

The ownership group behind Aston Villa, V Sports, is in discussions to acquire a controlling interest in French Ligue 2 club FC Annecy. The Athletic reported last November that Villa had already set up a partnership with the French side, which included sharing information on players and scouting data. That relationship now appears to be deepening into a potential takeover.

V Sports, led by Egyptian billionaire Nassef Sawiris and American businessman Wes Edens, has been expanding its football portfolio. The group already holds a significant stake in Portuguese club Vitoria Guimaraes, in addition to its majority ownership of Aston Villa. Adding FC Annecy would give V Sports a direct foothold in the French market, a league known for developing young talent.

FC Annecy currently sits in the middle of the Ligue 2 table. The club has a modest but passionate fan base and plays at the Parc des Sports in the Alpine city of Annecy. A takeover by V Sports would likely bring increased investment and access to Villa's broader scouting network, potentially helping the club climb toward promotion to Ligue 1.

Neither club has made an official statement on the talks. Sources close to the matter indicate that negotiations are ongoing but not yet finalized. If completed, the deal would mark another step in the growing trend of multi-club ownership models in European football.