BRISBANE Roar owners the Bakrie Group have rejected an offer of more than $10 million from a Russian consortium wanting to buy the three-time A-League champions.

The Sunday Mail has learnt negotiations between the Bakries and the group, which is being represented by Sydney-based player agent Buddy Farah, have been going for three weeks.

The consortium’s third, and seemingly final offer of $10 million-plus - in line with the market value of A-League clubs - was turned down on Saturday by the Bakries, who are understood to want double that money to sell the Roar.

“I represent serious investors with big experience in football and business,” Farah told The Sunday Mail

“They want to invest in Australian football and they tabled a very competitive offer to purchase the club.

“They see a good future with the Roar. Our offer is still on the table if they choose to reconsider.”

But it’s likely the Russian investors will seek to inject their money into another A-League club after again been turned away by the Roar.

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It’s understood Farah spoke directly to Indonesia-based Roar owner Nirwan Bakrie, and had meetings with club chairman Rahim Soekasah.

Soekasah last week sacked Mark Kingsman as Roar managing director and subsequently declared his intention to turn the Roar into the “largest club in Australia” by “truly engaging people”.

David Pourre, who returned to the club last week to replace Kingsman, yesterday said he was unaware of any firm offers to buy the Roar.

Pourre again stressed the Bakries’ commitment to the Roar.

The Indonesian conglomerate first linked with Roar in September 2011, when they bought a 70 per cent share of the club.

The remaining 30 per cent remained with Football Federation Australia until February 2012, when the Bakries took total control of the Roar.

It’s believed the Bakries have poured more than $30 million into the club since 2011.

Pourre’s focus remains on increasing the club’s commercial appeal, finding sponsors, including a major partner, and setting up an advisory board.

He had similar plans for an advisory board during his previous tenure as Roar CEO.

But after he resigned in June last year, plans for a Roar advisory board were quashed by Daniel Cobb, who lasted just three months as the club’s managing director before being replaced by Kingsman.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/football/brisbane-roar-rejects-10-million-offer-from-russian-consortium-to-buy-aleague-club/news-story/6345f06c170320afadbb003fe72e014e

Wow. 

"The consortium’s third, and seemingly final offer of $10 million-plus - in line with the market value of A-League clubs - was turned down on Saturday by the Bakries, who are understood to want double that money to sell the Roar."

FMD, we are never going to get rid of them if they are expecting that much. 

@ Mr. B

The valuation seems to be based upon what they've put in and lost. Next year presumably they'll value it at $24m on that basis.

They really need to accept their losses and move on as I highly doubt any sucker is going to pay even close to 20 million. They have brought it on themselves but the unacceptable bullshit off the field. Roar were probably worth that much back in the day when they were winning silverware but that is something that is not looking likely of happening any time soon. The Roar brand that Ange started has been damaged, the A-League interest is going downhill, they should take the money and run while they can. 

Can't put good money after bad. Club owners is a passion who wants to lose couple of million a year.

If they want to get rid of it just cut your losses.

@ Mr. B

Agree. Like a couple of owners they were probably hanging on to see what difference the new tv deal made only to be disappointed

Hope that figure is classic high balling bargaining and not a genuine valuation

Nope Redkat, it's genuine. I'd hope they'd take $20m less whatever they're planning to lose this year so maybe $16m but even that is more than it's worth

There is another potential buyer in negotiations apparently. Ahhh, good Ol' Brisbane Roar

Bakeries aren't billionaires for no reason. They ain't dumb. Despite how they appear

The consortium should look at the mariners. Would love to see what the mariners brand could do with some serious investment.

I highly doubt that a foreign consortium is going to be able to envisage any significant investment return from a team based in Gosford.

This. Unless their first move is a Sydney relocation. 

@ shallow hal

Hopefully they will invest elsewhere, the article states: "But it’s likely the Russian investors will seek to inject their money into another A-League club after again been turned away by the Roar." and it's not too hard to eliminate clubs not open to other investors:

City, Victory, WSW, SFC, Jets, Glory and Roar

Leaving CCM, where charlesworth is desperate for someone to share the losses, and Adelaide as the two most likely and possibly Nix/Glory as outsiders. Of those 4 AU/Glory would seem the best investments tbh

I can understand them wanting their investment back, but if it were to continue to lose money for them isn't there a time when you cut your loss's.

Strange how all the clubs are losing money but there are a bunch of investors and Clubs suddenly lining up to be a part of the A-League. WTF is that about ?  

@stiflers mom

There are people in this world that have so much money that blowing $10m on a club and losing $3-$4m every year is nothing .. and so the problem is not finding investors for football, the problem is finding investors for football that care about the game and not just their ego's.

The Bakries are filthy rich, the losses Roar generate probably consume a rounding error on one of the bank accounts every year - did Nirwan Bakrie wake up this morning and know Roar are even playing today let alone care what the result is? I doubt it.

If he's told his minions to get $20m for the club it would be a brave but foolish minion that walks in and tells him it's worth half that, may as well walk in with a resignation letter in your back pocket lol. So they'll continue to wait blaming everyone else but themselves and playing what is nothing more than a game to them.

For the sake of football and not just Roar, let's hope there is a buyer out there that can find something to leverage a deal.

Or a second Brisbane team such as brisbane city when they get the go ahead

@Davo

The article does specifically says an A League team, not a potential A League team though. Given the lottery and uncertainty that is taking place with expansion who'd want to gamble on that?

And expansion is at least two years away and there wont be a second team in Brisbane until Roar are stable that is an understanding between FFA and Fox ... that's one of the great ironies in this - the bakries are protected from competition while they maintain an unstable club.

I personally doubt we're seeing a second brisbane team in the lifetime of this tv contract which might explain the team at FCBC's willingness to help Roar "if asked" - the issues over stadiums, costs, corporate support and even state backing for the code make this city a toxic investment for football.

that's one of the great ironies in this - the bakries are protected from competition while they maintain an unstable club

And on top of that the A-League clubs want to take control and have all the TV money which is just going to the pockets of foreign owners who don't give a hoot.

Greg Griffin would reject 10 million for Adelaide as well, apparently wants 20 million.
http://www.goal.com/en-au/news/the-covert-agent-adelaide-united-miss-opportunity-to-be-an-a/2d1t97z87v4f1xxsiv1d5jng2

This has been my complaint for yonks.

Australian football clubs should look at models that includes at least equal local ownership and control.

Bakries are holding off because they are banking on the A-League clubs to roll the FFA and pocket the extra TV money.

Perfect world for them it will be. Own a club to amuse themselves with, and debts covered without lifting a finger.

At least we now know the real reason why Bakries are meeting FFA.

Imagine if the Bakries actually made an effort to run the club properly (ie get a paying shirt front sponsor & stop sacking CEO's & giving them payouts) they may actually be more profitable and worth $20M (bit like profitable & well run clubs like Victory).

if A-League licences are worth $10+ mill, that's partly because it's a closed shop with only 10 teams.  

How do we go from that to unrestricted P&R - no way are the current club owners going to allow unrestricted P&R because the value of their licenses will plummet (you'd be better off buying a busted NPL club for 5 cents and building it up to get promotion to the A-League).

@bettaga

How do you go to full p/r? Have a viable national division below it - average NPL crowds are less than 50 people and most clubs play on nothing better than parklands, that's not going to work for p/r. it just isn't and no work is going into developing the clubs below them other than best effort by a handful of clubs.

The best example in QLD is Dolphins RL play in a 10,000 seat stadium the government built over several years ... why isn't that Strikers or Brisbane City or Dolphins FC?

It would be interesting to see what investment would flow in with a Div/ in place

I wish the Bakries had sold out then