Italy Euros hero Chiellini bets on women’s sport with Mercury/13 investment

Giorgio Chiellini, one of Italy’s greatest ever defenders, has invested in Mercury/13, the aspiring multi-club women’s football organisation.

The 40-year-old former Juventus star, who returned to the Old Lady last week in a new strategic role, has linked up with the investment group who have committed to spending $100m across the European women’s game.

Chiellini, who captained Italy to victory over England in the Euro 2020 final, is the most high-profile male former player to invest in women’s football. 

“He’s trailblazing here, and he’s coming out and actually putting his money where his mouth is,” Mercury/13 co-CEO Mario Malavé told City A.M. 

“And he is not just doing it to feel good or have a nice story about him. He generally believes this is going to be a fantastic investment for him.

“It is exciting on multiple levels. Men’s football is obviously one of the most competitive and mature industries when it comes to sports. 

“Women’s football is a total startup but it’s growing really fast and has a lot of potential.”

Chiellini inspired by USA

The announcement comes after Mercury/13, who failed in an attempt to purchase English club Lewes last year, invested in Italian club Como.

Chiellini, who finished his career at Los Angeles FC in 2023, has a long-standing interest in business, having completed an economics degree and MBA.

“After spending time in the US, I saw the incredible strides women’s football is making there and how much potential it still has to unlock in Europe,” Chiellini said.

“That experience inspired me, and I’m proud to be part of a project that’s all about creating new opportunities for female athletes and taking the sport to the next level internationally.”

Mercury/13 ambitions

Mercury/13’s ambition is to have a club in the five main European footballing countries – Italy, Spain, England, France and Germany – within two years.

Malave added: “When you start seeing more people from that other competitive, mature side [men’s football] and starting to get involved and support the women’s side not just as an act of charity but because they recognise the business opportunity, that’s the significance.

“The fact that he’s supporting us is not just because he believes in the mission and the impact that we can have, which he wholeheartedly does and he’s very proud of, but also because he recognises the gigantic business opportunity that there is behind women’s football, and he’s excited, as an investor and an athlete, to contribute to that success.

“People invest in us at the whole growth level, so not at the individual club level. So we don’t like to fundraise for individual clubs. Every single person that has given us $1 is essentially supporting the whole grand vision, and by extension, they’re implicit owners or indirect owners of any club that we look to acquire.”