BARNSLEY, England (AP) — English soccer club Barnsley has been taken over by a Chinese-American consortium led by the owners of French team Nice and includes baseball executive Billy Beane.
As general manager of the Oakland Athletics, Beane implemented his “Moneyball” strategies — glamorized in a movie of the same title — that helped the franchise overcome budget constraints.
Barnsley, which plays in the second-tier League Championship and spent one season in the Premier League in 1997-98, didn’t disclose Beane’s stake or provide any financial details of the takeover.
Barnsley’s website says the new majority owners are Chien Lee of NewCity Capital and Paul Conway’s Pacific Media Group. They took control of French club Nice in 2016.
Barnsley, which is located in northern England, is 20th in the 24-team Championship halfway through the season.