Paraag Marathe Interview: Leeds United & the 49ers
The Athletic FC Podcast
The Athletic
4.0 • 1.3K Ratings
🗓️ 4 February 2021
⏱️ 29 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Mark Chapman & Matt Slater are joined by Paraag Marathe Vice Chairman of Premiers League side Leeds United & Executive Vice President of Football Operations at San Francisco 49ers.
In a wide ranging interview, Paarag details plans for Elland Road, discussions with other American owners of Premier League clubs and how Leeds & the 49ers could work together in areas such as player contracts, recruitment, analytics and commercial dealings.
We also hear Paraag's exciting vision for cricket in the States in his role as chairman of USA Cricket.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The Athletic. |
| 0:08.0 | Hello, I'm Mark Cham and welcome to the Business of Sport podcast on The Athletic. |
| 0:11.9 | Each week we take you behind the curtain into the world of football business and other sports across the globe. |
| 0:18.0 | Alongside me today from The Athleticic Football News reporter Matt Slater. |
| 0:22.5 | And as it's the Super Bowl this weekend, the pod has an NFL flavour as we look at the sports |
| 0:27.4 | relationship with European football, specifically the Premier League. As the athletics, Daniel |
| 0:32.9 | Kaplan wrote this week, nine of the last 10 Super Bowl teams have investments in soccer. |
| 0:39.1 | Is this just a coincidence or are there reasons behind it? How do Premier League clubs and |
| 0:43.6 | NFL franchises complement each other? How do they work together both on and off the field? |
| 0:49.4 | Welcome to the business of sport from the athletic. |
| 0:55.0 | Our guest today is Parag Marate, who is in his 20th year with the San Francisco 49ers, |
| 1:01.2 | serving as president of 49ers Enterprises and executive vice president of football operations. |
| 1:07.5 | He's also the team's chief contract negotiator and salary cap architects and looks after |
| 1:13.1 | the team's football analytics department, among other football duties. He is also a board member and |
| 1:19.4 | vice chairman of the Premier League side lead united after the 49ers initially invested in the |
| 1:25.3 | club in the summer of 2018 and have now increased their shareholding to 37% |
| 1:30.7 | following their promotion to the Premier League last year. |
| 1:34.4 | I'll start with a very broad question, Parag, I think, |
| 1:37.5 | which is why do you think there is so much American interest |
| 1:42.1 | and investment in English football teams. |
| 1:46.2 | I think as American owners, or I think as just professional sports owners, |
| 1:50.8 | realize the start to understand the business, and they realize that, wait a second, |
... |
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