NASHVILLE, TN– The Wilfs are going to have to sell their stake in Nashville SC once the sale of the MLS Orlando team closes. Zigi Wilf, his brother Mark, and cousin Leonard are about to take over from Flávio Augusto da Silva, current owner of Orlando City SC.
The price has not been disclosed but is expected to be between $400 million to $450 million, according to Sportico. Negotiations have been ongoing since October 2020. The Zilfs own the NFL Minnesota Vikings and are buying the MLS Orlando team, Exploria Stadium, and Orlando Pride, the National Women’s Soccer League team.
Orlando City SC team colors are purple and gold; the Minnesota Vikings colors are purple, gold, and white. Unlike Nashville, Orlando’s stadium is finished, and has a regular attendance of about 20,000 fans.
MLS rules prohibit owners from investing in other teams so the Zilfs are going to have to unload their minority stake in Nashville SC, according to news reports.
Last month Vikings Executive Vice President of Public Affairs Lester Bagley confirmed the sale with the Orlando Sentinel.
“The Wilf family is excited to become stewards of the Orlando City Soccer Club of MLS and the Orlando Pride of the NWSL,” said Bagley, who has worked closely with the Wilf family on a variety of projects for the past 16 years. “Among our goals are to build championship soccer clubs for the passionate and loyal soccer fans of the region, provide a best-in-class fan experience, and use our platform for positive impact in the Orlando community. We are optimistic that our acquisition will be finalized after the customary closing process is completed, and we look forward to making an official announcement in the near future,” Bagley said.
Nashville SC had no comment. MLS did not confirm the rules about cross-ownership of MLS teams or how much time the Wilfs would have to sell their minority stake in Nashville SC. (see https://tntribune.com/were-fairgrounds-soccer-contracts-fixed/)