Mercury13 Expands Women's Football Portfolio with Spanish Acquisition
Women's football multi-club group Mercury13 has significantly expanded its ownership roster with the majority acquisition of Spanish Liga F side FC Badalona Women. This strategic move brings the top-flight Spanish club into Mercury13's growing portfolio, which already includes WSL 2 team Bristol City Women and Italian outfit FC Como Women.
Strategic Vision for Spanish Women's Football
Lauren Holiday, chairwoman of Mercury13 and incoming board member of FC Badalona Women, emphasized the significance of this acquisition. "Spanish women's football has experienced extraordinary growth in recent years and continues to set new competitive standards," Holiday stated. "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."
The deal will see global sportswear giant Nike and experiences platform Fever partner with FC Badalona Women, who currently sit eighth in Liga F. This partnership represents a significant boost for the club's commercial and operational capabilities.
Building Professional Structures and Club Identity
Pedro Iriondo, chief executive of FC Badalona Women, expressed optimism about the new ownership. "Mercury13 brings dedicated focus, international experience and a clear strategic vision for women's football," Iriondo said. "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 size of Mercury13's task is illustrated by FC Badalona Women's recent performance. The club has finished 13th twice and 11th once in their three full seasons since promotion to Liga F in 2022, indicating significant room for improvement under new ownership.
Mercury13's European Expansion Strategy
This acquisition comes during a period of transition for Mercury13. Two years ago, following a failed bid for a stake in British club Lewes FC Women, Mercury13 secured significant investment from the Avenue Sports Fund. However, last month saw co-founder and former chief executive Victoire Cogevina Reynal abruptly leave the organization.
Despite these changes, Mercury13 continues to pursue its ambitious expansion strategy. The group has previously stated its intention to have a club in each of Europe's top five women's football leagues, suggesting clubs in France and Germany would be targeted next following this Spanish acquisition.
The move into Spanish women's football represents a strategic play in one of Europe's most competitive and rapidly growing football markets. With Liga F establishing itself as a premier destination for women's football talent, Mercury13's investment in FC Badalona Women positions the group at the forefront of the sport's professionalization across the continent.
