Alexandre Pato Invests in Northampton Town Football Club
Alexandre Pato is set for one of the more unlikely next chapters of his football life – as an investor in League Two side Northampton Town.
The club confirmed they have reached agreement with a consortium that includes the former AC Milan, Chelsea and Brazil forward over a “proposed shareholding acquisition” in the Cobblers.
Sports Alpha Capital (SAC), the investment group fronting the move, had their proposed deal approved by both the Independent Football Regulator (IFR) and the English Football League (EFL) earlier this month. The regulatory hurdles are out of the way; now the lawyers and paperwork take centre stage.
Northampton said in a statement they expect to be “in a position to confirm completion of the process” next week, signalling that the takeover is in its final stretch rather than just another early-stage conversation.
“Football club transactions always have many moving parts and often take a little longer than you would hope, but we are thrilled to be moving forward,” said Cobblers chairman Kelvin Thomas, underlining both the complexity and the sense of relief around Sixfields.
Joao Xavier, founding partner at Sports Alpha Capital, struck a similar tone. “We are very happy to have reached formal agreements. Obviously obtaining IFR and EFL approvals was a big step, but this is also a very important milestone, and we look forward to closing next week.”
SAC are not strangers to the English lower leagues. They were in talks earlier this year over a potential takeover of Colchester United, only to walk away after initial discussions. This time, the process has advanced far enough to secure formal approvals and a public announcement.
Pato is listed by SAC as one of its investors, alongside Gemcorp Capital, a London-based independent investment management firm. The exact size of SAC’s proposed shareholding in Northampton has not been disclosed, leaving the finer detail of control and influence still under wraps.
For Pato, 37, it marks a swift move into the boardroom after hanging up his boots last year. The Brazilian is best remembered for his electric early years at AC Milan, where he scored 63 goals in 150 games and lifted the Serie A title in the 2010-11 season, a spell that once marked him out as one of Europe’s most exciting forwards.
Now his name is attached to a very different project: a League Two club with ambitions to grow, new capital on the way, and a global profile boost from a former superstar stepping into the ownership picture.
