THE ex-chairman of Premier League club Burnley, Mike Garlick, has bought Spanish club Antequera CF who play in group II of the Premiera RFEF.
“I’m here for the club to evolve, not to make a revolution,” said Garlick.
He acquired the 100% shareholding of the Malaga province club which becomes a public limited company.
Garlick had previously shown a serious interest in acquiring La Linea’s Real Balompedica Linese but talks came to nothing.
He also owns the Gibraltar club, St. Joseph’s.
Mike Garlick said: “I was looking for a club that was close to where I live, Marbella.”
“I’ve seen several clubs in the south of Spain and in Antequera I felt I could do something like Burnley because it’s a community that lives football from the heart.”
Nothing will change in the club’s structure for now, with his right-hand-man Alvaro Perez serving as general manager.
“We will go season to season, doing better and better to achieve more success,” said Garlick.
“We don’t have to look to go up, up and up- we have to concentrate on each season and be successful on the pitch as well, not just in the standings.”
He said that other aspects of the club like the stadium or the sports city will be ‘homework that will be done little by little’.
Garlick looked to the academy to produce ‘players from Antequera who play for Antequera’ and noted the importance of its women’s team.
“I’m still a short time in, but I’m going to work hard.” he pledged.
Club president Angel Gonzalez said: “I think we were absolutely right to decide that Mike will be the owner of Antequera as a new era begins.”
Mayor Manuel Baron also welcomed Garlick, saying: “You come to the best city in the world and the best team in the world. This is our team and now it’s yours too”.
“I’m just asking that we take it step by step, there’s no rush.”
