Why the 49ers Owners Have Become So Obsessed with Soccer

Chaces are you root for the 49ers because they were a dynasty in the '80s and '90s. Not because they recently bought two soccer teams in the U.K. as well.

Nov 21, 2022; Mexico City, MEX; San Francisco 49ers Chief Executive Officer Jed York gestures prior to the NFL International Series Monday Night Football game against the Arizona Cardinals at Estadio Azteca. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Chaces are you root for the 49ers because they were a dynasty in the '80s and '90s. Not because they recently bought two soccer teams in the U.K. as well.

The 49ers' have a global fanbase because they won five Super Bowls and lost none between 1982 and 1995. That's what makes them special. That's why they're worth more than $8.5 billion today.

Back then, the owner was Eddie DeBartolo Jr., who was obsessed with building a football dynasty, and that's what he did. Today, the owners are Eddie's sister, Denise York, her husband, John York, and their son, Jed York.

And while they've tried their best and spent lots of money in hopes of winning a Super Bowl, they've fallen short three times. They don't seem to have what it takes to build a dynasty because they don't have Bill Walsh or Joe Montana. Instead, they have Kyle Shanahan and Brock Purdy, who are good, but not necessarily great.

So instead of spending all their time, effort and resources on making their football team as good as it can be, they've pivoted to buying soccer teams. Just this offseason, they sold more than 6 percent of the 49ers so they could afford to buy Rangers FC of the Scottish Premier League. They also own Leeds United, which recently got promoted to the English Premier League.

The Yorks have figured out that the only way to make the 49ers more profitable than they already have is to win a Super Bowl or two. And that's difficult. They can spend a ton of money and still not win it. See last season.

A much easier way to make money is to buy European Soccer Teams that are poorly run and refurbish them. Bring them into the 21st century from a business perspective. That's what the Yorks have to offer. They don't know what it takes to win championships because they haven't won any.