Drake Brings Together New Ownership as Venezia FC Announces Strategic Investment from Tim Leiweke and Francesca Bodie as part of €100 million fund raise during 2025-26 Season

New Investors Bring Championship Pedigree and Decades of Leadership in Global Sports to Accelerate VFC’s Commercial Growth and Success On and Off the Pitch

Leiweke and Bodie Become Largest Outside Shareholders

Leiweke Appointed Co-Chairman of Operating Committee; Bodie Appointed President of VFC

VENICE, Italy--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Venezia FC (“VFC”), the professional football club of Venice, today announced that it completed a significant minority investment from an investment vehicle led by Tim Leiweke and Francesca Bodie, two noted leaders in global sports, entertainment, and real estate development. The investment is part of a €100 million fund raise conducted by the VFC Operating Committee (OpCo) during 2025-26, aimed at strengthening the club’s financial stability and supporting its ambitions to compete at the highest levels of Italian and European football.

Tim Leiweke has been appointed Co-Chairman of VFC’s OpCo alongside Rob Hamwee. Leiweke is widely recognized as one of the most influential figures in global sports, having led teams to multiple championships across Major League Soccer, the National Basketball Association, and the National Hockey League, and pioneering the development of several of the world’s most successful sports and entertainment districts.

“VFC is an iconic team with a century-old history in the world’s most beautiful city, and we will be relentless in our pursuit of excellence and victories to enhance the legacy of this storied club,” said Tim Leiweke, Co-Chairman of VFC. “Having transformed the LA Galaxy and Toronto FC into champions and built premier sporting stadiums, we know what it takes to engineer a culture of winning and deliver fan-first experiences. We are bringing that same expertise to Venice to ensure VFC’s incredible fans have a world-class home and are a permanent fixture in Serie A.”

Francesca Bodie has been appointed President of VFC. Bodie is a leading executive in sports management and real estate development and brings deep expertise in scaling global brands and delivering exceptional fan experiences. She has been a primary architect of some of the most significant infrastructure and commercial projects in modern sports, including arena developments in major cities across the world.

“We invested because we love this city and its people and believe in the soul of this historic club,” said Francesca Bodie, President of VFC. “We are committed to honoring VFC’s deep history and distinct identity and executing a vision that will make us one of the country’s most competitive teams. VFC’s fans deserve continued success on and off the pitch and our mission is to ensure VFC reaches and cements its position as a force in Serie A. I am personally honored to work alongside Filippo Antonelli, other VFC leaders, and the VFC OpCo to continue to build a team that matches the greatness of this city.”

Leiweke and Bodie were introduced to the club through noted musician and VFC co-owner, Aubrey ‘Drake’ Graham, who worked with them during their time at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, owner of the Toronto Raptors, Toronto FC, and Toronto Maple Leafs.

“Tim and Francesca are incredibly good at what they do,” said Graham. “They know what success looks like and how to build it. We've done it before, and I'm excited to bring that energy to Venice."

Bodie will succeed Duncan Niederauer as President, who is stepping down from his role at the club. Niederauer will retain a small minority stake in VFC’s ownership group.

“It has been a pleasure working with Tim and Francesca this season and I am confident Francesca will do an amazing job for the club going forward,” said Niederauer. “It has been an exciting tenure as President and I am grateful to my partners on the VFC OpCo who, in the past three seasons, have not only led the organization, but also turned the club’s financial picture around to provide the stability needed to make our future as bright as possible.”

Leiweke and Bodie’s investment vehicle is now the largest outside shareholder of VFC, joining an established ownership group with several long-term members who have remained across multiple leadership groups.

“VFC is a special club and I’ve had the privilege of being a significant owner for nearly a decade,” said Ian McKinnon, Founding Partner of Sandia Holdings LLC. “Having worked closely with Tim and Francesca this season, I am certain the club is in the best possible hands. I am more optimistic today than I was on my first day as an owner, and I am proud to continue my support as they lead us into this new era of excellence."

VFC’s OpCo, with the benefit of Leiweke and Bodie’s experience, will continue to focus on building value in the club and investing in important initiatives including the development of the club’s new stadium in Bosco dello Sport. The VFC OpCo is also committed to working with Filippo Antonelli and the Sporting Division to ensure VFC has a home and training environment that reflects the city’s historic legacy and supports the club’s long-term ambition to compete regularly in Serie A and European competitions.

“Since being established during the 2023-24 season, the VFC OpCo has continued to build a stable financial structure to support the future growth of the team,” said Rob Hamwee, Co-Chairman of VFC. “Tim and Francesca have brought valuable expertise in sports management and stadium development since they joined the OpCo last year, and we are already seeing the benefits of their many contributions. We have added many valuable OpCo members during this season’s fund raise and I look forward to working with this group to further develop the club as we enter this next phase of VFC’s evolution and seek to cement our position in top-flight football.”

Bodie, Hamwee, and Leiweke will be joined by Brad Katsuyama (CEO, IEX Group) and Jonathan Wheaton (Principal, Sandia Holdings LLC), on the VFC Executive Committee.

In addition to Leiweke, Bodie, Hamwee, Katsuyama, and McKinnon, additional OpCo investors in the €100 million funding round include Michael Duggal (CEO, Duggal Visual Studios), Darrell Friesen (Director, Blue Nigel Investments), Cyril Goddeeris (Partner, Goldman Sachs), Phillip Hyun (Co-Founder, Gen-G), Wade Massad (Managing Member, Cleveland Capital), Rod Saddington (Founder and CEO, Merewether Investment), Ron Shurts (Co-founder and CEO, Annexus, and Owner, Arizona Rattlers), and Eugene Wang (CEO, Regent Holdings).

About Venezia FC

Venezia FC (VFC) is the professional football club of Venice, Italy. It is an iconic club known for its focus on sporting excellence and integrity combined with its mission on social responsibility, community development, art, and the preservation of Venice. Located on the lagoon island of Sant’Elena, the historic club plays at Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo, Italy’s second oldest stadium, adjacent to the grounds of the Venice Biennale. For most of the club's history, VFC has ranked in Italy's top two divisions. One of the club's most significant achievements was winning the Coppa Italia in 1940-41. More recently, VFC was promoted from Serie D, to Serie C, to Serie B between the years 2015 and 2020 and then to Serie A in 2021 and 2024. VFC achieved promotion in the 2025/26 season and will once again play in Serie A in 2026.

For additional information contact us at [e-mail] or please visit, www.veneziafc.it. To purchase our merchandise, please visit our shop.

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