With football being the biggest sport in the world, many professional athletes who are now retired and have money to spare decided to make a strategic investment.
NFL legend Tom Brady, for example, decided to invest in Championship team Birmingham City. And this is not just athletes, we’ve seen many celebrities like Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhanney investing in football, with their Wrexham AFC project, which already saw them being promoted to League Two.
Before Brady, however, NFL star JJ Watt was one of the pioneers of this trend, investing with his wife to become partial owners of Burnley F.C. And one season was enough for Watt to see the Clarets being promoted to the Premier League, with former Manchester City coach Vincent Kompany at the helm.
Who would thought NFL stars would be interested in European football? It seems like now that he is retired he has more time to scout for the perfect investment and being an athletic spirit, of course, he invests in another sport.
So, what’s up with all the investments, and why suddenly everyone is interested in owning a football team?
Well, it is probably a good investment for making money since football (the non-American one) is the number one sport in the world in terms of fans, and it is growing every year. It is definitely not about passion for the teams, since most of these investors are not that familiar with football.
What you probably would not guess is that despite investing in Burnley, Watt has actually confessed in the past to be a Chelsea fan.
JJ Watt and His Wife Investing in Burnley F.C
It wasn’t too far ago that defensive end JJ Watt was leading the NFL odds for Defensive Player Of The Year, an award he received three times throughout his career.
Now the retired NFL legend, and his wife, Kealia Watt, a star in the NWSL, have stepped into the world of football (or soccer) with a savvy move. They’ve snagged a minority ownership stake in the current Championship winners, Burnley FC. It is important to note that when Watt took the initiative to invest in the Clarets they had been relegated and were not in the Premier League as they are now.
Now, they’ve been pretty hush-hush about the nitty-gritty of their investment, but here’s the backstory. Not too long ago, in 2020, an American investment firm called Alk Capital boldly splashed out around £200 million (that’s a cool $250 million) to grab the reins of Burnley FC.
So, what’s Burnley FC’s story? Well, they faced a bit of a rough patch in 2022, getting relegated to the EFL Championship. But, don’t count them out just yet—they hustled hard and secured their ticket back to the Premier League for the upcoming season in April.
Kealia Watt, you might know her from her time with the UWSNT and as a current free agent in the NWSL, is all set to play a key role in nurturing and expanding Burnley FC’s women’s team. It’s a testament to her dedication to the beautiful game.
Now, beyond their bold move in English football, the Watts are making waves in the real estate world. They’ve recently dropped a cool $7 million on a stunning mansion tucked away in the scenic city of Phoenix, Arizona.
This comes right after JJ Watt hung up his NFL boots, capping off a remarkable career that bagged him three NFL Defensive Player of the Year titles and solidified his place as a future Hall of Famer.
But what’s the deal with Chelsea?
Is JJ Watt a Chelsea Fan?
As Watt gears up for his inaugural full season as an investor in Burnley, he’s preparing to face a club that holds a special place in his heart—Chelsea.
In a recent interview with talkSPORT, Watt openly shared his affection for the Blues, a team he’s supported in the past. There’s no hiding it; he’s a true Chelsea fan through and through.
“I was a big, big Didier Drogba fan from his Ivory Coast days so I followed along with Chelsea. I do not hide it and I am sure people are going to send photos of me holding up a Chelsea kit.”
“They can also show photos of me holding up a Manchester City kit because Sergio Aguero is my friend or a Tottenham Hotspur kit because Harry Kane is my friend. These things are going to be out there and that is fine but the reality is that Burnley is the right club for us because there is an opportunity to come in and make a difference.”
But this doesn’t mean a lot for his Burnley F.C. investment. After all, he is a true athlete who values all sports. He even stated that helping a football team like Burnley FC would make him feel very happy, no matter which team he supports.
He might be a Chelsea fan, but there is a good chance that he will turn to Burnley F.C. quickly this season, especially when they play against Chelsea. After all, it is all about money and passion for the sport, and when you are the owner of a team that is playing, you don’t care who you supported in the past.
JJ Watt also pointed out that he and his wife are minority investors and there are a lot of “majority investors” or decision makers that are in charge of Burnley F.C. Their goal as minority investors is to talk about the team, tell the story about Burnley F.C and make them feel seen on the global scene.
Even though Burnley F.C. got promoted to the Premier League they have a lot on their shoulders that they need to prove. The start of this year’s season isn’t the best since they already played three matches and lost all of them and their rivals got a head start.
Burnley hosts the Blues on October 7th at Turf Moor and we can imagine Watt’s heart will be divided. May the best team win and hopefully that team will be Chelsea. Sorry JJ!
