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Former Barcelona and AC Milan star Maxi Lopez has finally made his mark in the world of football ownership. The former Argentina international, who was regularly available to watch across several streaming options during his playing days, has invested in another European club. This comes three years after a failed attempt to take over Birmingham City alongside Paul Richardson, a Birmingham-based businessman.
Lopez, 41, has acquired a 40 percent stake in Swiss third-tier side FC Paradiso through his UK-based company Maxco Capital. The announcement was made official by the club on April 14th, 2025.
A press release from FC Paradiso read:
“FC Paradiso is pleased to announce that on 14.04.2025, the Club President Antonio Caggiano and Maxco Capital have officially concluded the deal for the transfer of 40% of FC Paradiso SA to Maxco Capital.”
Maxco Capital is an investment company led by former professional footballer Maximiliano Gaston Lopez (Maxi). Paul Richardson is also listed as a director of this firm, according to the Companies House website.
Lopez’s illustrious playing career includes stints with Barcelona, AC Milan and Torino, among other clubs. He took to social media channels on Monday following the announcement about his latest venture into football ownership.
The journey towards owning a piece of a football team started three years ago when both Lopez and Richardson attempted but failed to purchase Blues before Knighthead Capital Management and their Hollywood counterparts sealed the deal in July 2023.
Shelby Companies Ltd, a subsidiary of US-based Knighthead Capital Management, led by Tom Wagner, purchased a controlling stake in the club and full ownership of the St. Andrews in the summer of 2023. Then the club appointed former Manchester City CEO Garry Cook to a key executive role and unveiled NFL icon Tom Brady as a minority owner.
From a Birmingham City perspective, the move worked out for the best. Maxi Lopez’s ambitious attempt to take over the club surely would not have been backed by the kind of financial muscle possessed by Knighthead. What’s more, the Hollywoodification of the club’s brand, spearheaded by Tom Brady, has seen them follow in the footsteps of Wrexham and their American ownership in significantly boosting their global presence.
It did look, at one point, look very likely that Lopez’s bid would be successful, at least to the untrained eye. The Argentine was frequently seen at St Andrew’s and even held a press conference there, discussing his plans with journalists.
In addition to public appearances at St Andrew’s during the announcements for summer 2022 signings like Tahith Chong, they effectively took control of Blues without obtaining approval from the EFL (English Football League).
As such, Blues were later charged by the EFL due to Lopez and Richardson’s failure to adhere to the Owners and Directors’ Test.
Subsequently, Birmingham City were acquired by Knighthead and now look to be on the right track both on and off the pitch, with the club securing the League One title at the weekend and ownership regularly talking about a return to the Premier League in the near future.
As for Maxi Lopez, despite a rocky start to his foray into the world of football ownership, he has finally found his footing with FC Paradiso.
His investment in the Swiss club marks a new chapter for both him and the club. It will be interesting to see how this partnership develops over time, especially considering Lopez’s vast experience as a professional footballer.
