Apollo Sports Capital, the American sports investment company that bought 57% of Atlético de Madrid last year, has reshaped the Board of Directors, that grows from five members to eleven. Enrique Cerezo and Miguel Ángel Gil will remain as Chairman and CEO, respectively, for at least three years, but among the six new members, the name of David Villa stands out.
Villa only played for one season in Atlético de Madrid, but left his mark winning LaLiga 2013/14. He also won major titles with Zaragoza, Valencia, and Barcelona. Villa is also the top goalscorer in the history of the Spanish national team, scoring 59 goals in 98 appearances between 2005 and 2017.
"I'm very happy to be returning to the club with new responsibilities, but with the same desire to continue helping Atlético de Madrid grow season after season. The club has experienced significant growth for several years, and I hope to contribute to our continued success. I'm very grateful that they considered me for this role", said Villa in the announcement on Thursday.
Atlético de Madrid is building a huge sports and leisure centre in Madrid
With the new board and the reorganization of shareholders, the board has also approved a capital increase of up to €100 million, which will be used for the new urban project called City of Sport, being developed next to the Riyadh Air Metropolitan Stadium in Madrid, with sports facilities, a mall and even a huge artificial beach, with reportedly the largest wave pool in Europe.