SALFORD RED DEVILS this afternoon announced they had been taken over by a consortium led by businessman Dario Berta, CEO of Matanel, an investment bank that specialises in real estate investment.
The new owners have cleared all current club debt and will deliver additional significant investment for the future growth of the club, with a process already underway to recruit a new internal management structure led by recruitment industry experts, KinseySears.
Dario Berta himself commented: “I’d like to express my gratitude to Paul King and the existing team within the CBS who have led the club in recent years from celebrating its 150th anniversary, a Betfred Super League Grand Final and Challenge Cup Final, as well as navigating the club through tricky periods such as COVID.
“This is the start of a very bright and successful future for Salford Red Devils. I’m very proud to be involved, and with Chris at the helm, I feel like we have the perfect opportunity to build something special. Our focus and dedication now is to work together with stakeholders and fans to build sustainable success on and off the pitch for the long term.”
Berta himself hails from Switzerland and lives in the mainland European country, whilst the business he is currently chief executive for – Matanel Ltd – was incorporated as a private limited company in April 2023.
His LinkedIn also reveals that the 52-year-old is a partner at banking lawyer firm Caputo and Partners.
According to his LinkedIn page, Berta took over the role as chief executive of Matanel in 2019. with the Swiss businessman previously holding the title of ‘relationship manager’ at Truss Point Partners.
That company describes itself as “a specialized financial services company, providing a bridge to liquidity solutions for asset owners on a global scale.”
According to Companies House, however, Matanel’s account filing history is overdue for their first accounts made up to 30 April 2024.
Those accounts were meant to be due by 19 January 2025, but they have not yet been detailed on Companies House.
A long-tenured lawyer and investment banker in Lichtenstein and Switzerland, Berta has also worked with UBS, a multinational investment bank and financial services company founded and based in Switzerland.
