Former Chelsea star Gianluca Vialli has co-founded a crowdfunding platform which allows supporters to invest in leading clubs.
Tifosy, described as the world鈥檚 first and only fully licensed sports crowdfunding platform, connects clubs with a global community of fans and investors.
It will give supporters the chance to buy shares in their favourite clubs or invest in club mini-bonds, providing them with cash interest or club credit.
鈥淐lubs and fans working together for a common goal can make a real difference to the game we love,鈥� said Vialli.
鈥淚 believe Tifosy takes fan engagement to a new level. This is the beginning of a new era, a sports revolution, and I am proud to support it.鈥�
Tifosy has already worked with more than 15 clubs in England and Italy, running rewards-based campaigns to fund training ground and stadium improvements and similar projects.
It is now launching much more ambitious financial campaigns, giving fans greater involvement in their clubs and a return on their investment.
It will give clubs access to untapped capital by unleashing the passion of their global fan base 鈥� 30 of the world鈥檚 leading clubs, together, have more than 1 billion social followers, and some clubs can count more than 1,000 times their stadium capacity in online supporter numbers.
Tifosy鈥檚 platform is regulated through the Financial Conduct Authority. Last month it completed English football鈥檚 first mini-bond, raising 拢600,000 in just six weeks for League Two club Stevenage to build a new North Stand.
Two hundred and forty fans invested between 拢500 and 拢25,000, choosing either four per cent cash interest or eight per cent club credit interest per annum and receiving unique club-related privileges.
It has also worked with Portsmouth, Fulham and Bradford City.
The聽FinTech firm can now sell equity and debt on behalf of clubs and is this week scaling up by launching its own 拢1m equity raise, issuing 4000 shares in the company, which has a pre-money valuation of 拢9.2m.
For a minimum 拢1,000, investors can buy into the company, which was co-founded by European Cup winner Vialli and CEO Fausto Zanetton, a former investment banker who spent more than 15 years as a sports, media and tech specialist at Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley.
Zanetton said:聽鈥淔ans are the greatest asset of any club and our mission is to enable everyone to invest in the clubs they believe in, in a fair and transparent manner.
鈥淲hilst there is an incredible passion and willingness to invest in sports, there is currently no way to do so for the average fan or investor.
鈥淔anfunding transforms the way fans can interact with their clubs. You no longer need to be a billionaire to invest in professional sports clubs.
鈥淲e are unleashing the passion of fans and these billions of global fans represent an enormous and untapped investor base.
鈥淲e believe this pivotal moment in Tifosy鈥檚 short history is an excellent opportunity to bring on board the first wave of our very own Fanfunders, passionate advocates who will help change the sports industry for the better鈥�.