San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch joked this week about how it feels to have a stake in Leeds United.
The San Francisco 49ers general manager was talking on Tim Kawakami’s podcast the TK Show. After revealing his interest in soccer and its depiction in the American comedy programme Ted Lasso, Lynch moved on to his connection with Leeds.
Back in 2018 the 49ers CEO Jed York bought a 15 percent stake in Leeds. In January this year, York upped the investment to 37 percent of the club. At the same time, Paraag Marathe, the 49ers Enterprises President, became Vice Chairman of Leeds. Andrea Radrizzani remained as the majority stakeholder.
However, on the TK Show podcast, the 49ers general manager Lynch let slip that he may also have a stake in Leeds, along with head coach Kyle Shanahan.
“Jed [York] is invested in this Leeds club, and he allowed us to have some fun," Lynch said. "Kyle [Shanahan] and I joke around that we’re owners of a Premier League football team. We have a very, very small percentage.”
Lynch said that it was not the first time he had been interested in English football, though it sounded like he may have only recently been converted to this side of the Pennines.
"It’s fun to watch that and see what’s going on over there because you hear so much about it,” he added. “I’ve had the opportunity over the years doing some broadcasting to go see a Manchester United game. Man, it’s fun.”
Back in May, York tweeted a photo from his visit to Elland Road to watch Leeds beat West Brom 3-1. No doubt, after months of the pandemic making travel difficult, he was eager to see in person where his increased investment had gone. According to the Sunday Times, it’s £50 million in total.
