Black Knight Football Club (“BKFC”), a partnership led by William P. Foley, II (“Foley”), has acquired a majority ownership interest in Moreirense Futebol Clube – Futebol SAD (“Moreirense FC” or the “Club”), a Portuguese Primeira Liga football club, founded in 1938 and based in Moreira de Cónegos, Portugal.
The investment in Moreirense FC advances BKFC’s multi-club ownership strategy of building a global network of world-class football clubs, players, and real estate assets that will produce operational synergies, accelerate player development, and enable efficient player migration across BKFC’s network of owned and operated clubs while driving strong on-field and financial results. BKFC’s clubs today include 100% ownership of AFC Bournemouth, an English Premier League club, a significant minority investment in FC Lorient, a French Ligue 1 club, and a minority stake in Hibernian FC, a Scottish Premiership football club. Foley also owns an A-League expansion football club based in Auckland, New Zealand, which won the 2024-25 A-League Men’s Premiers Plate (regular season champions) and had the highest attendance in the A-League in its inaugural season.
By adding Moreirense FC, BKFC enters Portugal, which is the seventh-best league in Europe based on 2024-25 UEFA coefficient rankings and is known for its elite domestic talent and strong track record of developing world-class players. In addition to domestic talent, Portugal is an attractive destination for the best South American players (and especially Brazilian players) because it gives players time to adapt to European competition in a Portuguese-speaking market. Portugal also has no limit on non-EU players, which makes it a natural destination for South American players.
“We’re proud to announce our strategic investment in Moreirense FC,” said Foley. “This partnership marks an important step forward for both Moreirense FC and BKFC, as we will work together to drive long-term success for the Club and the community. By investing in player development and infrastructure, we believe we can both elevate the club and contribute to the continued growth of Portuguese football. We look forward to working with Vítor Magalhães and the entire Moreirense team.”
Moreirense FC is a competitive presence in the Primeira Liga, Portugal's top football league. Moreirense finished the 2023-24 season in sixth place and finished the 2024-25 season in 10th place (out of 18 teams). The Club plays its home games at Parque de Jogos Comendador Joaquim de Almeida Freitas and hosts a strong academy.
