Yet another wild 2020 moment: Iowans owning a major Serie A club. Potentially in conjunction with the new USL Championship club they are starting that will replace the Menace.
Krause family of Kum & Go, Des Moines Menace, and Iowa athletics (Krause Family Plaza) fame, on the verge of taking over Italian soccer giants Parma
- Thread starter Menace Sockeyes
- Start date
Kind of surprised they have that much money. Casey’s and Kwik Star make their stores look like shit.
perhaps he is pissing away daddy’s money?
perhaps he is pissing away daddy’s money?
- Sep 13, 2002
- 93,924
- 189,833
- 113
Not any of the newer Kum & Gos in Cedar Rapids, North Liberty, Coralville, or the Des Moines suburbs. Quite the opposite, actually.
I don't know what the books look like of individual clubs like Parma, but as a business investment, I would stay away from European soccer teams.
Seems like a lot of owners drop more money into the team than they get back. That's even true at big clubs.
It's not like the American sports leagues where a team is pretty much guaranteed to be profitable.
Seems like a lot of owners drop more money into the team than they get back. That's even true at big clubs.
It's not like the American sports leagues where a team is pretty much guaranteed to be profitable.
$100 mil for a top flight club in one of the Big 4 leagues is a song.
- Sep 13, 2002
- 93,924
- 189,833
- 113
Presume it’s more about prestige and branding than directly making money as a sporting club.
The new Kum n Gos are great. Can even get growlers of beer.
Krause should cut Iowa a check to save the sports.
Krause should cut Iowa a check to save the sports.
Parma has traditionally been a mid-table club their entire existence, with a spell of Coppa Italia and Europa League (then UEFA Cup) titles in the ‘90s and early 2000s. They went bankrupt and were automatically relegated for it in 2015, all the way to Serie D. The owners that took over eventually got them back to Serie A and just got them back to mid-table (11th) on one of the lowest total player wages last season.: https://images.app.goo.gl/N1GideMmUX6RpwUq8
Seems one of the better investments.
This is pretty cool. Wonder what effect this will have on the potential USL Des Moines club
That's the thing though. Mid-level or even low level NFL teams, NBA teams, NHL teams, MLB teams. They don't go bankrupt.
Now to be fair you probably can't get controlling share in one of those teams for only $100 million dollars. But quite frankly soccer teams in Europe seem like an extremely risky move from a business prospective.
Serie A in general is not what it once was, and wages at Parma are quite small. They got in trouble in the days before “financial fair play” rules when clubs borrowed heavily. Can’t do that anymore. As far as value, so many Americans are investing there as they see value in much lower prices for clubs there than in England, Spain, or France.
I'm wondering if there could also be a player or two on loan to Des Moines.
Also, I would buy a Parma jersey in a heartbeat if Kum & Go somehow became a shirt sponsor
Can't say I've ever walked in to a Casey's and thought "wow, looks really nice in here."
- Sep 13, 2002
- 93,924
- 189,833
- 113
The new ones are actually very good. Obviously they felt the heat from Kwik trip and upped their game.
Kwik trip is still the Best. Cheap bread milk eggs bananas and other items make it very easy.
