BLOOMBERG NEWS’ Henrique Almeida cited a source as saying that U.S. investor Entrepreneur Equity Partners has “agreed to buy a minority stake in Portuguese football club Benfica at a steep premium.” The source added that Benfica’s second-largest shareholder José António dos Santos, together with his family’s poultry producer Grupo Valouro, “agreed to sell his 16.38% stake” for about $11.70-$12.87 (All figures US) per share on April 23. At the upper end, the price is “about 70% higher than the prior day’s close” of $7.56. The deal “implies a market valuation of about” $293M for the club (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 4/28).
INVESTMENTS PAY OFF: In Dallas, Myah Taylor noted the Wings have “taken over as the developer of their new 70,000-square-foot facility at Joey Georgusis Park in Far West Oak Cliff.” Wings G Paige Bueckers said, “The front office has done a really good job of making those improvements and putting their money where their mouth is.” New Wings coach Jose Fernandez, hired in October, said that the team’s investment into the new practice facility “was part of what attracted him to the job.” Taylor noted other investments include “growing staff size and updating existing facilities” at the Univ. of Texas at Arlington. Wings F Maddy Siegrist said, “In the last four years, how much it’s grown is just incredible. ... It’s just a testament to the ownership” (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 4/28).
STEPPING DOWN: ESPN.com’s Turron Davenport noted Titans President of Football Operations Chad Brinker “stepped down” on Tuesday. Brinker, who had been in the role since 2024, was in charge of the entire football staff and reported directly to controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk. Adams Strunk called on Brinker to lead the search for a new GM in 2025, resulting in the hire of current GM Mike Borgonzi. Brinker joined the Titans as an assistant GM in 2023 and “helped expand their analytics department, primarily by establishing a multidepartmental data team that focused on integrating data-driven insights into salary cap management, coaching, scouting and sports science” (ESPN.com, 4/28).
RODENT INFESTATION: In L.A., Steve Henson wrote the concession stand in View Level Section 432 was the “only one out of about 160 at Angel Stadium to be flagged by Orange County health inspectors Wednesday for ‘rodent infestation.’” An Angels spokesperson on Tuesday said that the stand “has been cleaned and will be reinspected ahead of a homestand that begins Friday.” The team spokesperson said that “rodent activity was not found in any food preparation areas, that it occurred underneath a storage rack and next to a water heater” (L.A. TIMES, 4/28).
