Red Bull has taken a significant step in expanding its global soccer footprint by acquiring Japanese third-tier club Omiya Ardija. The energy drinks giant will acquire 100 percent of the shares from telecommunications firm NTT, marking the first time a foreign company has fully taken control of a Japanese professional league team.
The acquisition adds Omiya Ardija to Red Bull's extensive portfolio of soccer clubs, which includes Germany's RB Leipzig, Major League Soccer’s New York Red Bulls, Austria’s Red Bull Salzburg, and Brazil’s Red Bull Bragantino. In May, Red Bull also invested in English second-tier club Leeds United, becoming their front-of-shirt sponsor.
Red Bull's plans for Omiya Ardija include growing the club's brand and expanding the company's presence in Japan. There is speculation that the club may undergo a name change, though such a rebranding would require approval from the J.League, as current regulations prohibit the inclusion of company names in club titles.
"First of all, I would like to thank the stakeholders of NTT East Japan, J.League, and WE League for the constant trust-filled dialogue," said Oliver Mintzlaff, managing director of Red Bull. "We are very pleased to have a club in Asia and to expand our football portfolio in a strategically important region. Japanese football has developed very well in recent years and has produced many top talents. We would like to be part of this successful path with the club, providing our experience and expertise to contribute to making Omiya one of the prestigious clubs in Japanese football in the future."
Red Bull is expected to officially take control of Omiya Ardija in September.
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