Washington Spirits Owner Defends Multi-Club Ownership Model, Emphasizing Its ‘Necessity’ in Women’s Soccer

The multiple sports franchise ownership model has more naysayers than supporters. The majority think it is detrimental to competition and integrity. However, the number of teams in the multi-club structure now stands at more than 180 clubs compared to less than 40 clubs in 2012. Notably, Manchester City and MLS’ New York City come under the same Abu Dhabi-based City Football Group. With the rise of multi-club teams, Washington Spirits’s owner, Michele Kang, who owns two other clubs, says such a structure will be key to the growth of women’s soccer.

Besides Washington’s NWSL side, Michele Kang has acquired the English side, London City Lionesses, and bought a majority stake in France’s Olympique Lyonnais’ women’s team. She revealed a unique strategy she implements across her teams in a move to liberate women’s soccer from the influence of the men’s counterpart.

Multi-club model is no luxury, as Washington Spirits’ owner emphasizes more than monetary investment

Michele Kang spoke about her soccer ventures at the Financial Times Business of Football Summit. “I know that in some [cases] the multi-club concept is viewed not so positively. But for women’s sports, I would submit to you that it’s actually a necessity rather than a luxury or a choice because there’s so much investment needed,” said Michele Kang, as compiled by Sports Pro Media. She then revealed how three of her clubs benefit from the multi-club model. Kang said she is investing heavily in creating exclusive training and performance manuals for her teams.

“One of the first things I’m doing is actually training women players as women,” she said. Usually, most women’s sports teams borrow such manuals from men’s teams. “It’s going to be impossible to do that for one team, but if you do this across multiple teams, you can do it once and make it available to all other teams,” the Washington Spirit owner added, highlighting a positive side of the multiple-club ownership system. Michele Kang’s efforts to liberate women’s soccer are rightly on par with the NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman’s thoughts.

NWSL Commissioner- On the importance of being independent of men’s soccer

Speaking at the same conference, Jessica Berman termed the NWSL a ‘superpower’ because it was free from the reins of top-flight men’s soccer clubs. She pointed out that the case is different for clubs in Europe. Notably, the Olympique Lyonnais Feminin, owned by the Washington Spirit boss, is now under the wing of its men’s team. However, with novel efforts from the likes of Michele Kang, the French team could soon be an independent superpower like its NWSL counterparts.

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Speaking of Kang’s milestones with the NWSL side, the Washington Spirit secured its one and only NWSL title in the next year she acquired majority ownership of the club. The Spirit now houses the USWNT’s biggest superstars, such as Trinity Rodman and Andi Sullivan. What are your thoughts about Kang’s comments? Tell us in the comments.

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