Black Knight takes full control of Lorient

Black Knight Football Club have acquired the remaining equity interests in FC Lorient to become the sole shareholder of the Ligue 1 club, expanding the multi-club platform controlled by AFC Bournemouth’s owners. The transaction completes Black Knight’s move from minority partner to full owner, while former majority owner Loïc Féry will remain Lorient president and take part of his consideration in Black Knight shares, giving him a stake in the wider group. William P.Foley II, Black Knight’s general partner and vice-chairman of Cannae Holdings, said: “We’re delighted to take the next step with FC Lorient, and to welcome Loïc to BKFC. It is a great source of pride to contribute to the future success of a club celebrating its centennial. By bringing together people, talent and networks, we’re building a competitive and attractive platform at BKFC. “With Loïc, we’ll make sure that FC Lorient continues to achieve success and we’ll focus on maintaining the enthusiasm of its fans.” Cannae Holdings, which backed the deal, described the acquisition of the remaining stake as a move that allows deeper integration of Lorient into Black Knight’s operating model, with collaboration across executives and sporting management focused on recruitment, training and player development.The group positioned Bournemouth as a key reference point for the strategy, with Cannae noting that Lorient join an international set-up that includes AFC Bournemouth and Moreirense, and highlighting that Bournemouth and Lorient have already completed multiple player transactions. Féry said: “Bill Foley’s numerous successes in professional sports have already been well demonstrated. They all reflect a rare understanding of local specificities, enabling him to pool expertise and establish a lasting presence on a large scale."For more than two years, we have experienced and valued this partnership with BKFC, building synergies that consider each party’s needs, strengths, and identity. “Joining BKFC represents a real opportunity to secure an ambitious future for the club, through a development strategy compatible with its DNA and its ties to the region.” Cannae chief executive Ryan Caswell described the deal as strengthening Black Knight’s position as a global owner-operator, adding that full ownership should support tighter alignment across clubs and staff as the platform looks to improve results. Black Knight’s portfolio now includes 100% stakes in Bournemouth and Lorient, and a majority stake in Moreirense, with strategic affiliation agreements also referenced with Auckland FC, Orlando City and Kyoto Sanga.