Billionaire Brighton owner Tony Bloom buys stake in Scottish soccer club Hearts

EDINBURGH, Scotland (AP) – Brighton soccer club’s billionaire owner Tony Bloom invested in Heart of Midlothian of the Scottish Premiership on Wednesday, aiming to revive another unheralded team.

The former professional poker player is seen as one of the smartest investors in European soccer helping lift his hometown club Brighton and current Belgian champion Union Saint-Gilloise to unexpected success with data-driven research and management.

Hearts said Bloom paid 9.86 million pounds ($13.4 million) for “a 29% stake in the club in non-voting shares.”

The size of Bloom’s minority stake should be within the UEFA-set threshold to comply with rules designed to protect the integrity of European competitions when clubs in shared ownership both qualify.

UEFA required Bloom to reduce his stake and decision-making influence at Union in 2023 when the club from Brussels joined Brighton in qualifying for the second-tier Europa League.

Union won its first Belgian league title in 90 years this season and will make its debut in the Champions League main phase. Brighton missed qualifying for UEFA competitions by one place finishing eighth in the Premier League.

Hearts played in the third-tier Conference League last season but did not qualify for any European competition next season after placing seventh in the Scottish league.

The Edinburgh club won the last of its four titles in 1960 in a league now monopolized by Glasgow rivals Celtic and Rangers. They have combined to win the last 40 titles.

“I am absolutely thrilled to be investing in Hearts,” Bloom said in a club statement. “I firmly believe in the club’s ability to disrupt the pattern of domination of Scottish football which has been in place for far too long.”

Hearts has been runner-up five times since 1960, most famously in 1986 after leading the standings for months. Hearts lost on the last day by conceding two late goals at Dundee and was overtaken by Celtic.