Former England women's player Eniola Aluko has become the first black woman to own a club in Italy, acquiring a major stake in FC Como's female team.
The 37-year-old announced on her X page that she is part of Mercury 13, a $100 million ownership group that secured a majority stake in the club. The club FC Como Women, established in 2020, currently competes in Italy's top-tier Serie A and plays home matches at a 3,700-capacity stadium.
Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Aloku moved to England when she was young, and she went on to pursue a successful football career, representing England’s national team, the Lionesses, before transitioning to roles in football broadcasting and sports management. She also previously served as the Sporting Director for Aston Villa and Angel City FC.
Mercury 13, led by Aluko along with Victoire Cogevina Reynal, Mario Malave, and Ebru Koksal, aims to invest in women's football clubs across Europe and Latin America. The acquisition of FC Como Women signifies their commitment to advancing the sport. According to SportsPro, the organisation said that it wanted "to turn Como Women into a leading women’s soccer club in Europe, while providing a ‘nurturing environment’ for players to succeed on and off the pitch."
Speaking on the investment, Aluko said: “We bought the majority stakes in Como Women; it was the sort of play on how can we shift the narrative of women’s football, how can we speak to a new audience, how can we create a new world in women’s football by investing in it.”
Mercury 13 has revealed that it believes in the untapped growth opportunity in women's football in Italy. A report published last year by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), projected that the commercial value of Italian women’s soccer is set to increase from €6.6 million (US$7.16 million) in 2021 to €46.7 million (US$50.67 million) in 2033.
The group’s ultimate goal though will be to forge a global network of women’s soccer clubs. Having now finally got off the mark with its first acquisition, Mercury/13 will look to set an example for other investors to follow.
The club, located near Lake Como and drawing crowds of around 1,700 per game, will most likely benefit from Aluko, given her journey from playing at Leafield Athletic Ladies and Birmingham City Ladies to becoming a prominent figure in football broadcasting and now club ownership.
Aluko's leadership in Mercury 13 is expected to drive growth and development in women's football, leveraging its increasing popularity. Her historic achievement in Italian football ownership not only enhances the sport’s profile in Italy but also serves as an inspiration for future generations of black sports investors, owners and sportswomen.
