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Who are Real Sociedad Owners? A Detailed Look Into Real Sociedad Ownership History & Current Leadership

Real Sociedad

Real Sociedad

La Liga / Spain

Real Sociedad have been one of the dark horses in La Liga's history. With limited resources, they have managed to give the three big Spanish teams - Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid - a run for their money. Real Sociedad is one of the most financially responsible and sustainably run clubs in the Spanish top flight. The club's consistent profitability, mindful budgeting, and strong backing from the shareholders ensure a stable foundation. In the 2023-24 season, the club had a turnover of approximately €179 million in revenue, and the net profit was around €1.2 million. This speaks volumes about how efficiently the club is run despite a shortage of resources, unlike the bigger clubs. They finished 11th last season in the league and failed to make it to any of the three European competitions this season, which is expected to have an impact on their revenue. Many of you might have questions like, “Who is the owner of the Real Sociedad football club?” Well, we at Sportsdunia have got you covered. Let's take a detailed look at Real Sociedad owners.

Who are Real Sociedad Owners?

Let's take a look at who the Real Sociedad owners are. Real Sociedad do not have a single owner, as they are organized as a Sociedad Anonima Deportiva (S.A.D.), which is a form of sports public limited company under Spanish law. The club is not directly owned by the socios or members in the way FC Barcelona or Athletic Bilbao are. In the early 1990s, the Spanish football federation instructed almost every club in Spanish football to convert into S.A.D. structures for financial stability and transparency. Clubs like Barcelona, Real Madrid, Athletic Bilbao, and Osasuna were the only ones to remain member-owned (socio-owned) because of their financial stability. Sociedad didn't qualify and had to comply with the Spanish law and thus became an S.A.D. In an S.A.D., there is no single owner but multiple shareholders, who cannot hold more than 2% shares in the club. This prevents private control of the club and ensures fair share of responsibilities for everyone involved. The President and the board are elected by the shareholders, and this helps in keeping the Basque identity of the club intact, even though it is not traditionally run by the socios.

Real Sociedad Management Personnel

Let’s take a closer look at the Real Sociedad management.

RoleName
PresidentJokin Aperribay
Vice PresidentsÁngel Oyarzun, Mikel Ubarrechena, Joseba Ibarburu
Councillors / DirectorsFermín Altuna, Nerea Aramburu, Maite Azcoaga, Aitor Díaz de Mendibil, José Ramón Fernández de Barrena, Javier Igarza, Alex Pereda, Jesús Ruiz, Ignacio Serrats, Alex Uranga
Board SecretaryJosé Luis Martínez
Director of FootballErik Bretos
ManagerSergio Francisco
Assistant CoachesIosu Rivas (coordinating), Felipe Sánchez Mateos
Individual Development CoachXabier Ruiz de Ocenda
Set-Piece CoachJosé Rodríguez
Goalkeeping CoachJon Alemán
CoachImanol Ibarrondo
Real Sociedad Management Personnel

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Sociedad Anonima Deportiva Source of Income

The owner of Real Sociedad FC can't be determined, as there is no single owner of the club. The club does not have owners in the sense of a single wealthy individual. It's a Sociedad Anonima Deportiva (S.A.D.) - which means it is owned by thousands of shareholders and not just a single entity. So instead of private owners, the Basque club is run by the President and the Board of Directors. The current President of Real Sociedad, Jokin Aperribay, who is a Basque industrialist, and his family own SAPA Placencia - a major defense and technology company in Spain. The company had a revenue of €59 million in 2023, which happens to be his and his family's primary source of income.

The board's source of income also includes the overall financial performance of the Real Sociedad football club. 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 from occasional appearances in the European Cup competitions. Commercial revenue also plays a major part, as it provides enormous revenue through lucrative sponsorship deals with companies like Baghdadi Capital, Macron, Keler, and Yasuda Group - merchandising sales and licensing agreements. Matchday revenue, which includes ticket sales, season passes, and corporate hospitality at the Reale Arena, also contributes to the board's source of income. The profitable business of player trading - where a club buys, develops, and sells players at a net profit- is a crucial aspect of their financial model and is instrumental in injecting huge capital, which helps fund the signing of new players and manage debt. However, their main focus remains on developing more local Basque players.

Real Sociedad Owners Net Worth

Let's take a look at Real Sociedad owners net worth. As we know, the Real Sociedad football club owner is not a single identity. It operates as a Sociedad Anonima Deportiva (S.A.D.) with shareholders running the club. Not a single individual holds a majority stake, as each shareholder is allowed to have just a 2% share in the club. This implies that there isn't a single majority owner whose net worth can be determined as compared to the privately owned clubs.

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Real Sociedad Owners History: From Past to Present

Real Sociedad don't have any single owner - they are run by the board members allocated under the Sociedad Anonima Deportiva (S.A.D.). Under the S.A.D., there are multiple shareholders who do not hold more than a 2% share in the club. The President of the club is at the top of the pyramid of the board and is considered the highest form of individual at the club. Although he isn't directly an owner, he's the one responsible for most decisions at the club. Here's a table for the highest authority - the President of the club - over the years.

President NameTenure
Adolfo Sáenz1909–1912
Enrique Pardiñas y Barreiros1912–1915
Antonio Vega de Seoane1915–1917
Xabier Peña1917–1918
Mariano Lacort1918–1919
Camilo Rodríguez1919–1921
José Gaytán de Ayala1921–1922
Ramón Machimbarrena1922–1924
Antonio Vega de Seoane1924–1927
Luis Pradera1927–1929
Vicente Prado1929–1930
Florentino Azqueta1930–1932
Javier Peña1932–1935
José María Gaztaminza1935–1937
Francisco Molíns1937–1942
Pedro Chillida Aramburu1942–1945
Felipe de Arteche1945–1954
José María Gaztaminza1954–1956
Emilio de Zulueta1956–1960
Agustín Ciriza1960–1962
Antonio Vega de Seoane1962–1967
José Luis Orbegozo1967–1983
Iñaki Alkiza1983–1992
Luis Uranga Otaegui1992–2001
José Luis Astiazarán2001–2005
Miguel Ángel Fuentes2005–2007
María de la Peña2007
Juan Larzábal2007–2008
Iñaki Badiola2008
Jokin Aperribay2008–Present
Real Sociedad Owners History

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who are Real Sociedad Owners?

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Real Sociedad doesn't have a single owner and is run by a board under the Sociedad Anonima Deportiva (S.A.D.), a sports public limited company under the Spanish law. 

How much is Sociedad Anonina Deportiva net worth?

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As the club is run under the Spanish legal structure and has no owner of its own, there is no net worth for the owner of Real Sociedad as a result.

Who are the major shareholders of Real Sociedad?

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There are no major shareholders of Real Sociedad, as the Spanish law states that clubs under S.A.D. can have shareholders who cannot hold more than a 2% stake in the club.

Who was the first owner of Real Sociedad?

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Real Sociedad haven't had any owner since its inception; it was founded in 1909 by a group of students from the United Kingdom who were football enthusiasts.

What is Real Sociedad owner primary business?

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As Real Sociedad doesn't have a particular owner, the club's board members run the club, and their primary business includes the matchday ticket sales, broadcasting rights, player transfers, and commercial partnerships for the club.