Former FIFA World Player of the Year, Lothar Matthäus has been unveiled as a shareholder of Ghana Premier League side Accra Lions in an acquisition with two other partners reportedly worth two million Euros.
Matthäus, who captained Germany to win the 1990 FIFA World Cup and also won the world’s best player award that same year, will serve as a co-owner of Lions alongside former player agent Oliver König and Ghanaian football star, Frank Acheampong, in the running of the club.
Speaking at his unveiling in Accra yesterday, Matthäus, a revered figure in world football, who had a trophy-laded career with German giants Bayern Munich and later Inter Milan, expressed his delight in joining the Accra Lions family as a board member.
The German icon said his decision to team up with Acheampong and König was to help provide opportunities to talented players from Ghana to develop in a structured way for bigger opportunities in Europe.
“I like to spend all my time in football. I want to give back to the community.
“I want to help with my experience. We know the football a bit longer than you so you can always come to me or anyone else in the team,” said the 62-year-old Matthaus.
“They are [players] very professional. They are all very talented from what I saw in training. The facilities were very good, and I want to make sure we improve it even more.
“Beating Aduana Stars after a rough patch in form is the kind of mentality I like. That’s why I’m here,” he added.
Great deal
The President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kurt Simeon-Okraku, who was a special guest at the ceremony, commended the shareholders for their foresight in investing in Ghana football and believes the end result would be something great.
Mr Simeon-Okraku noted that with great minds such as Matthaus, König and Acheampong, the project was bound for greatness and cannot fail.
“We can see a vision unfolding. The partners Oliver König and Lothar Matthäus are winners so the club will become winners. Essentially, Ghana football will become a winner,” Mr Simeon-Okraku remarked.
For his part, the German Ambassador to Ghana, Daniel Krull, explained he expects to see players from Accra Lions playing in the Bundesliga soon.
He added that the decision of the two Germany greats to invest in Ghana football would go a long way to develop the youth in the country which he said remained a clear objective of the European nation.
“Your decision to invest in Ghana would go a long way to help the youth of this country.
“I am glad this project symbolises the plans Germany have for this country, and I believe it will be a fruitful venture,” said Ambassador Krull.
Ghana link
During his second stint with Bayern, Matthäus played alongside Ghana legend Samuel Osei Kuffour during which they won two Bundesliga titles alongside other domestic honours.
After his illustrious playing career, the German worked as coach of the Bulgarian and hungarian national sides, as well as handled club sides in Austria, Serbia and Brazil. He is currently working as an expert for the pay-TV channel, Sky.
At Lions, he will be working with an old acquaintance from the Bundesliga, former Ghana international Ibrahim Tanko, who is the Technical Director of Lions, formed in 2015 and in its second season in Ghana’s topflight.
Source: Graphiconline
