Puma Snaps Up Borussia Dortmund Stake

Sportswear brand Puma has snapped up a stake in German football team Borussia Dortmund after the club launched a stock issue.

The Bundesliga team, which is the only listed club in its top-flight domestic league, is hoping to raise roughly €140m from the 24.5 million shares that it has issued at €4.66 each.

Puma - which manufactures the kit for Borussia Dortmund and also boasts high-profile affiliations with the likes of Premier League side Arsenal and the national team of Italy - has purchased €17.6m worth of shares along with Dortmund's stadium sponsor Signal Iduna and Evonik, one of the Bundesliga club's other major sponsors.

"We are delighted that Evonik, Puma and Signal Iduna, three of BVB's most important sponsors, are becoming shareholders," said CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke.

"As an emotionally and positively charged company, Borussia Dortmund will act, also due to its domestic and international appeal, as a veritable partner.

"These partnerships bring not only financial benefits for BVB, we are also looking forward to intensive networking with our innovative sponsors in Germany and abroad."

The club has yet to publicly announce what the funds will go towards but it is likely they will go to manager Jurgen Klopp's transfer kitty, as he looks to rebuild the squad after losing star striker Robert Lewandowski to major rival Bayern Munich on a free transfer.

The Polish frontman moved to the Bavarian team this summer, while last year Dortmund lost World Cup-winning goalscorer and fan favourite Mario Gotze to the same team.