FC Juarez owners poised to buy newly-promoted La Liga team

The Chinese ownership company DDMC is expected to sell Granada very soon.

This summer, they will be striving to prepare for the next 2023-24 La Liga season and improve their roster, all while dealing with the uncertainty of continuing sale discussions.

According to the Spanish daily Diario AS, the parties involved in the pending $88 million sale to MountainStar Sports Group are in the midst of finalizing their discussions. By 2009, DDMC had acquired Granada.

Who are Granada’s expected new owners?

The new investors are all Americans who together control many different football clubs, the most prominent of which being CF Juarez of Mexico’s Liga MX.

The six members of the investment group come from a wide variety of professional backgrounds, including oil, finance, and even Domino’s pizza delivery in Juarez.

In the finer details, Granada supporters will be crossing their fingers that this doesn’t ruin their summer. With their transfer activity almost wrapped up, Paco Lopez would likely want a more settled squad heading into the season.

How did Granada return to La Liga?

After placing 18th in La Liga in the 2021/2022 season and being demoted to the second division. The Andalusian club won the Second Division championship in their first season, despite losing 11 games (more than any of the four teams who finished below them).

After a tumultuous season, Aitor Karanka was retained as head coach for the next 2022-23 season in the second division. Granada fired Karanka and hired Paco Lopez after going scoreless in nine of their first 15 games.

Lopez had a significant influence, and the Andalusian team, which he guided to promotion, became a fortress at the 19,000-capacity Nuevo Estadio de Los Cármenes. Granada were undefeated in their 17 home games, winning all 21 they played. Myrto Uzuni, who scored 23 goals and was the catalyst for several of these triumphs.

Photo credit: IMAGO / ZUMA Wire