Mercury13 buys majority stake in FC Badalona Women as multi-club group expands into Spain

Women’s football multi-club ownership group Mercury13 has made a majority investment in Liga F side FC Badalona Women, adding Spain to a portfolio that already includes Italy’s Como Women and England’s Bristol City Women.Mercury13 said the deal makes it the first women’s football-focused multi-club ownership platform to invest in the Spanish market, as they target the sport’s fast-growing elite leagues.The investment includes a commercial reset built around new partners, with live entertainment discovery platform Fever named as FC Badalona Women’s front-of-shirt sponsor and strategic partner.Fever will work with the club on fan experiences and audience growth, while Nike will also support the club in what it described as a new chapter.The ownership group also used the announcement to underline a local commitment, saying FC Badalona Women will play home matches at the Estadi Municipal de Badalona from the 2026/27 season after stadium renovation works led by the City of Badalona.Mercury13's model is focused on bringing long-term capital, operational expertise and commercial scale to women’s clubs that have historically been underinvested relative to the men’s game.Lauren Holiday, Mercury13 chairwoman and an athlete advisor to Avenue Sports, will join FC Badalona Women’s board as part of the transaction and said: "Spanish women’s football has experienced extraordinary growth in recent years and continues to set new competitive standards. "Badalona is a city with a proud sporting culture and sits in the heart of one of the world’s most exciting football environments. FC Badalona Women is at an exciting stage in its journey, and Mercury13 is committed to supporting the club as it builds its next chapter."Governance and executive leadership will also change, with Liga F executive committee member Josep Bellet staying on as club president and former FIFA and Olympique de Marseille executive Pedro Iriondo appointed as chief executive.Iriondo added: "Mercury13 brings dedicated focus, international experience and a clear strategic vision for women’s football. Our priority now is to build strong professional structures around the club – operationally and culturally – while shaping a clear identity for FC Badalona Women that reflects the spirit of the city and its community. From there, our goal is to develop a competitive team that grows with Badalona and competes at the highest level."The move comes weeks after Mercury13 confirmed the departure of co-founder and co-chief executive Victoire Cogevina Reynal, with the group saying a process to appoint a new chief executive is under way and that Avenue Sports, its majority owner, will continue to drive growth.FC Badalona Women sit eighth in Liga F and have reached the Copa de la Reina semi-finals, where they are due to face FC Barcelona over two legs, adding competitive momentum to an ownership change aimed at accelerating the club’s business platform.