Who are Celta Vigo Owners? A Detailed Look Into Celta Vigo Ownership History & Current Leadership

Carlos Mourino Source of Income

The majority owner of Celta Vigo FC, Carlos Mourino, is a well-established businessman whose primary source of income remains the energy and construction sectors, mainly from Mexico. He has investments in fuel and energy services in Mexico. His family had connections to the Grupo Ivancar - a company that specialized in petrol station networks and fuel distribution. The Celta Vigo football club owner has also invested in construction and property development projects, which also contribute to his overall income. Carlos also founded the Grupo Corporativo GES, which deals in administrative services and management of sports entities. Most of the revenue stream is derived from media and broadcasting rights, which account for a significant portion of the club's overall earnings from domestic competitions like La Liga and occasional appearances in the UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League. Secondly, commercial revenue provides a major contribution through a huge range of sources, including profitable sponsorship deals.

Matchday revenue, which includes ticket sales, season passes, and corporate hospitality at the Balaidos stadium, also contributes to the Celta Vigo owners income. Additionally, the profitable business of player trading, where the club buys, develops, and sells players for a net profit, is a crucial aspect of their financial model, providing a huge capital injection that helps fund new player signings and manage debt.

Celta Vigo Owners Net Worth

The Celta Vigo owners net worth can't be singled out, as there are multiple shareholders within the club's structure. The most prominent and influential figure in the ownership of the club is Carlos Mourino, a global business tycoon in fuel & energy services, along with construction and real estate. According to various sources, the Celta Vigo football club owner, Carlos Mourino's net worth is estimated to be around $5 million dollars, as of August 2025. The majority of the decisions are taken by Carlos, whereas the Barrios family of the Grupo Minor Galicia have little say on the club's day-to-day matters. However, information regarding the Celta Vigo owners net worth, comprising the Barrios family or the Grupo Minor Galicia, is not available.

Celta Vigo Owners History: From Past to Present

The history of Celta Vigo's ownership has seen a significant shift from fan-run and club-member models to a more centralized, private ownership. The club was founded on 23rd August, 1923, through a merger between Real Vigo Sporting Club and Real Fortuna Club. Like most other Spanish clubs, it was owned by the socios (members) of the club, who were responsible for electing the Presdient of the club. Manuel de Castro was the first President of Celta Vigo.

In 1992, the Spanish law passed a resolution that stated that most of the Spanish clubs should become sports corporations, which meant that ownership had to be shifted to shareholders from fans. Initially, the club sold its shares to local businessmen, which resulted in not a single majority owner but multiple Vigo-based investors who held different stakes at the club. Horacio Gomez Araujo became the President of the club in 1996, and it was under his presidential rule that the club first appeared in the UEFA Champions League, but also saw a big financial crisis.

In 2006, Carlos Mourino took over the reins and changed the fortunes of the club. The Spanish-Mexican businessman acquired a 40% stake then, which later expanded to 70% through his company, Grupo Corporativo GES S.L. He became the first majority shareholder of the club in the modern era. In 2023, he stepped down as the club president and was succeeded by his daughter, Marian Mourino. However, the Mourino family still owns the majority ownership of the club.

Celta Vigo Owners Controversy

The Celta Vigo owners did have their fair share of controversies, within and outside the club's structure as well. Carlos Mourino's company were to build a major sports complex on the communal forest of land at Tameiga, which was fiercely opposed by over 430 families. After long durations of legal battles, the club's owner scaled back the project from €160 million to €115 million, opting out of the construction of a multi-use arena and parking within the sports complex. The agreement also included protection of local water sources.

Another controversy was the dispute with Afavi, the local amateur football association of Vigo. Afavi accused Celta Vigo of backtracking on an agreement to support the development of grassroots-level players and claimed that over 4000 youth players were left to hang dry.

Carlos also found himself in a dispute with Vigo's then-mayor, Abel Caballero, over the ownership and renovation if Celta Vigo's home stadium, Balaidos. He even threatened to take his club out of Vigo unless Celta was given full control of the Balaidos. Several fans protested against it, as they saw Carlos' intentions align with the conservative party for political gain.

In 2016, Carlos Mourino was investigated for document falsification of the sale of Gandara Censa, one of the largest heavy equipment manufacturers in Europe, to the Chinese Citic Group. One of the minority shareholders claimed that Carlos falsified an invoice of over €18,150.

There had also been two cases of public fallouts with players, namely Denis Suarez and Santi Mina. Carlos had a dispute with Denis Suarez's agency, as he accused the agency of poaching young players and even barred Suarez from the first team. However, Suarez has refused to comment on this dispute in public. In Santi Mina's case, the club was accused of signing a player who was under investigation for a sexual abuse case, which angered a large section of the fans and the feminist groups. Although Carlos defended the decision to sign Santi Mina initially, he later expressed regret for not including clauses in the player's contract like dissolution in the event of conviction.