FIFA did not allowed third parties to have "significant" influence on players,[1] which in reverse minority interest was not banned. Sporting closed its relation to previous investment fund in 2007, but "Sporting Clube de Portugal – Futebol, SAD", the company that operation football section of the athletic club, had a negative equity of €29.646 million in 2010–11 season.[2] Co-current with issue bonds, re-capitalization, Sporting had to find an alternative way to improve the financial condition. Benfica had set up a successful Benfica Stars Fund which purchased around €40M from the club. The club gave up a portion of future transfer fee received in return. After months of preparation, Sporting announced the fund would start operate in August 2011.[3]
In August 2011, Sporting announced that the fund had a size of €15 million and opened to subscription.[4] On 18 August, Sporting started to sell new signing, current players and youth product to the fund for cash.
^Article 18bis, "Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players - 2010"(PDF). FIFA. Archived from the original(PDF) on January 25, 2011. Retrieved 8 March 2012. No club shall enter into a contract which enables any other party to that contract or any third party to acquire the ability to influence in employment and transfer-related matters its independence, its policies or the performance of its teams.
