Who Is Dr. Tony Xia, New Owner of Soccer Club Aston Villa?
The Aston Villa Football Club announced that the team has officially changed ownership after Chinese businessman Dr. Tony Jiantong Xia's purchase, effectively ending the decade-long ownership of Randy Lerner. The move to sell and eventually find a buyer came after the club's relegation from the Premier League just this season.
A statement was provided by the club's official website on Wednesday, confirming earlier rumors that the Aston Villa was for sale and some mysterious personality was to become the new owner. Part of that statement reads: "Aston Villa Football Club is pleased to announce that an agreement has been signed today for the sale of 100% ownership by Randy Lerner to Recon Group owned by Dr. Tony Jiantong Xia subject to the approval of the Premier League and the Football League."
Who is Dr. Tony Jiantong Xia?
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The statement further revealed, via Bleacher Report, that Xia is a loyal fan of Aston Villa and is himself a football player back in college. The report also said that the new owner's objective is to bring Aston Villa back to the Premier League, and after that, make sure they finish in the top six. For the fans of the club, a change in ownership usually means a positive change in direction, too.
The takeover also came in at a very opportune time when it comes to building the club's fan base. This is because the game of football is rapidly gaining popularity in China for the past couple of years. With a Chinese owner, it is possible that Aston Villa will become the preferred Premier League team in the world's most populous country.
Born in Zhejiang, Xia graduated with a college degree in his home country before continuing his studies in Harvard and MIT. He also had a five-month exchange study experience at Oxford.
He currently owns a Chinese-based company called the Recon Group, which primarily invests in IT, agriculture, health, energy, engineering and design, financial services and sports, and tourism. According to Sun FM, Recon Group currently have five publicly listed companies in the Chinese and Hong Kong stock exchange as well as privately held sub-companies.
