Almere City to be taken over by Japanese main sponsor Yanmar
Dutch football club Almere City is on the verge of being taken over by its main sponsor, Japanese engine and vehicle manufacturer Yanmar.
Yanmar has agreed to buy the club from real estate billionaire Lesley Bamberger, owner of Schiphol-based developer Kroonenberg Groep, who has been the club’s sole shareholder since 2010.
The deal still has to be approved by the Dutch football association KNVB, local media reported. The price has not been disclosed.
The takeover cements the relationship between Yanmar, whose European headquarters are in Almere, and the club, whose home ground was renamed the Yanmar Stadion in 2015.
Kroonenberg Groep will become the club’s main sponsor, effectively swapping places with the Osaka-based manufacturer of diesel engines and agricultural machinery.
The team was promoted to the Eredivisie for the first time in 2023, but will play next season in the Keuken Kampioen Divisie after finishing bottom of the league last season.
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