KUALA LUMPUR (Malaysia): Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, crown prince of the oil-rich state of Johor, prompted speculation of a takeover bid for Spanish football club Valencia.
Valencia is owned by Peter Lim, a billionaire businessman from Singapore.
“I’m not a businessman, I’m a prince,” Tunku Ismail, 36, wrote in a series of Instagram stories, which are no longer available but were posted as screenshots by media. “I’m not someone who will change your club logo or tradition.”
Tunku Ismail already owns Malaysia’s Johor Darul Ta’zim, who last year won their seventh straight Malaysian league title and inaugurated the 40,000-capacity Sultan Ibraham Stadium.
Lim’s Meriton Holdings bought Valencia FC for 420 million euros in 2014, including 200 million euros to clear the club’s debts.
Valencia, who in the early 2000s won two La Liga titles and the UEFA Cup, and reached two Champions League finals, are currently 14th in the league, five points clear of the relegation places.
