Entering the Red Bull Era! Official: Red Bull Group Acquires 100% Stake in Omiya Ardija

On August 6, Omiya Ardija officially announced that the Red Bull Group has acquired 100% of the club’s shares.

The official statement is as follows:

Red Bull GmbH (Headquarters: Austria, CEO: Oliver Mintzlaff, hereinafter referred to as “Red Bull”) and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone East Corporation (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, President: Naoki Shibuya, hereinafter referred to as “NTT Japan East”) along with NTT Sports Community Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture, President and CEO: Hideo Sano, hereinafter referred to as “Omiya Ardija”), which operates Omiya Ardija and Omiya Ardija Ventus (the women’s team) owned by NTT Japan East, have signed a share purchase agreement for the transfer of 100% of the shares to the Red Bull Group. The share transfer is planned for September 2024.

Omiya Ardija is a professional football club based in Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture. Its predecessor was Den Den Saitama Football Club established in 1969, which later changed its name to Den Den Kanto Football Club and NTT Kanto Football Club, before becoming a professional football club in 1998 with Saitama City (at the time) as its home base. It is now entering its 26th season. In 2021, we founded Omiya Ardija Ventus, which competes in the first professional women’s football league (WE League) in Japan.

In terms of youth development activities, we are committed to nurturing world-class players and talents who can take leadership roles in society. Many players have been selected for the Japanese national teams across various age groups, and we have produced over 50 professional football players to date.

Furthermore, we actively collaborate with our local community to address regional and societal issues. At the same time, we are making efforts to leverage the assets of local residents to solve club-related problems, thus creating mutual value enhancement.

Based on the club’s philosophy of “Contributing to better communities where people can share their dreams and excitement through sports,” we are implementing various initiatives aimed at becoming a “growth cycle club.” This involves achieving sustainable growth and development through the circulation of growth among individuals and organizations within the club and the community, including the football pitch.

Red Bull, headquartered in Salzburg, Austria, is primarily known for its energy drink business. However, in addition to manufacturing and selling beverage products, the company also operates sports management services such as Formula One racing teams, ice hockey clubs, and football clubs. Its goal is to push boundaries, promote sports and youth development, and give “wings” to passion, energy, innovation, people, and ideas.

Regarding football club management, we operate three clubs in three countries globally (USA, Germany, and Brazil), forming the Red Bull Football Network. Our approach to the football world combines a unique brand identity with innovation and financial stability while investing in infrastructure and long-term development.

For Red Bull, the J.League is a highly competitive football league that gains international recognition each year. The presence of Omiya Ardija, with its 26-year history, is particularly significant. We have determined that this is the right club to become part of the Red Bull Football Network. As for the women’s team competing in the WE League, there are many players capable of performing on the world stage, and we see great potential.

By becoming part of the Red Bull Football Network, Omiya Ardija will be able to leverage the network to develop first-team players and coaches, establish pipelines, utilize expertise to showcase performance, and invest in optimal environments to nurture local players and coaches, contributing to the local community.

Our hometown, Saitama City, is a city with further development potential. We believe that investing in and building partnerships through the club’s activities in our primary operational area of Omiya presents an opportunity for sustainable growth for Red Bull, Japanese football, and our hometown of Saitama City. Building upon the existing football culture in the region, we will further enhance the importance of the area by establishing a sense of identity among local residents.

Red Bull is committed to continuing activities in Saitama City, respecting the team name and club colors cultivated together with stakeholders, and actively embracing new challenges based on the club’s 26-year history, demonstrating “continuity and development.” We will further accelerate our efforts to realize our club philosophy and evolve into a circulating club.