Secret Adelaide United owner revealed after five years of mystery

It’s been one of the longest-standing mysteries in SA sport. Who owns A-League club Adelaide United?

• Devoted Reds fan assaulted after Sydney match

After five years of mystery, the real owner of Adelaide United can be revealed as Dutch businessman Cor Adriaanse, who has declared the club is not up for sale – and he’s in it for the long haul.

In his first interview since buying Adelaide United in 2018, Mr Adriaanse said the club had also parted ways with chairman Piet van der Pol, who has been replaced by Melbourne-based sport executive Ned Morris.

Describing himself as the “majority shareholder’’, Mr Adriaanse said he accepted there was a need for greater transparency around the club’s ownership after those details were hidden when he took over the club from a consortium including Adelaide businessman Rob Gerrard and lawyer Greg Griffin.

“I think now over the past one or two years it has become more of a bigger element than before, we get that,’’ Mr Adriaanse, 47, said. “I do understand the need for transparency hence I’m also here now today.’’

Ned Morris, Adelaide United chairman with Cor Adriaanse, Adelaide United owner. Picture: Sarah Reed/Getty

Adelaide United players celebrate a goal with teammates during the round 22 A-League Men's match against Western Sydney Wanderers. Picture: Mark Evans/Getty Images

He said the initial reluctance to make his identity public was, in part, a desire to protect his privacy. The other minority shareholders are Rob Van Eck, Yu Lidong and Mr van der Pol.

“It’s always, for us, never been about us, but the club, the leadership team, as well as the fans. We like our privacy ultimately and trusted and had faith in Piet,’’ he said.

Mr Adriaanse, an entrepreneur with stakes in multiple retail-linked businesses, is in Adelaide this week for the first time in four years to announce Mr Morris and to assure fans worried about the club’s future.

He said it had been his decision to not proceed with the long-mooted sale of the club to property developer Ross Pelligra.

He said while former chairman Mr van der Pol had “wanted to explore’’ a potential deal, “we as owners have not put the club up for sale’’.

Craig Goodwin jumps over fellow players after a goal against Wellington at Coopers Stadium. Picture: Sarah Reed/Getty

Mr Adriaanse also said the shareholders wanted to sell their Chinese club Qingdao Red Lions and had no desire to buy other clubs in Europe, an idea previously floated by Mr van der Pol.

“That means our focus is 100 per cent definite into one club, that is Adelaide United going forward,’’ he said.

“Just trust that we are football fans we are proud being owners of this club. We’re in this for the long run.’’

Mr Adriaanse rejected rumours Adelaide United, whose men’s team currently sit second on the table, was in financial trouble.

“We are now in a financial sound position,’’ he said. “We put our efforts in and we honour every correct debt that is there, so we are confident we are on a good path.’’

Mr Adriaanse said he was “not afraid to invest’’ and nominated starting an academy as an example of where future investment could be made.

He declined to provide details of why Mr van der Pol had been replaced but new chairman Mr Morris said his role was to help current chief executive Nathan Kosmina build the club.

“I’m not here to operate the club on a day-to-day basis. I’m here to put in some rigour around a lot of the frameworks that will enable the club to be commercially successful,’’ he said. “I want to put a lot of rigor around the governance of the club.’’

Originally published as Secret Adelaide United owner revealed after five years of mystery