Almere City will be in Japanese hands, the club announced on Monday. Yanmar, the namesake of the club’s stadium, will take over the shares of real estate magnate Lesley Bamberger.
Bamberger, along with real estate developer Kroonenberg Groep, had been the owner of Almere City since 2010. Partly due to the investments of Steven Berghuis’s father-in-law, the club was promoted to the Eredivisie for the first time in its history in 2023.
Almere City was relegated to the Keuken Kampioen Divisie last season after two seasons. It is unclear whether this played a role in the acquisition. Bamberger says in Almere City’s press release that Yanmar can “take the club further,” both on and off the field.
The intended acquisition by Yanmar, which has been the namesake of Almere City’s stadium since 2015, still needs to be approved by the KNVB’s licensing committee. The amount of money involved in the acquisition has not been disclosed.
According to Almere City, no major changes are expected in the office after the acquisition. The directors, members of the supervisory board, and other employees of Almere City are all allowed to stay.
Yanmar is no stranger to football. The company also owns Cerezo Osaka, one of the oldest professional clubs in Japan. The club plays in the J1 League, the highest football competition in the country.