Novak Djokovic And Aryna Sabalenka's Boyfriend Among Buyers Of French Football Club

Novak Djokovic is spreading his involvement into another sport after he and Aryna Sabalenka's boyfriend, Georgios Frangulis, were revealed as two of the investors in a French football club.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion has been a football fan for many years. He is a passionate supporter of iconic Serie A club AC Milan and has attended some of their important Champions League ties.

Djokovic felt the full force of football passion when Paris Saint-Germain won their first-ever Champions League in the 2025 final against AC Milan's bitter rivals, Inter Milan.

Some in Paris used the football club's triumph as an excuse to engage in illegal activities. Djokovic, in Paris at the time for the 2025 French Open, was unsure if he could get back to where he was staying before eventually doing so.

The tennis legend's involvement in football is now more extensive after he and other investors bought Le Mans, a team in the second tier of French football, one step below Ligue 1.

Le Mans were promoted to France's top division for the first time in 2003-2004. After immediately being relegated and then promoted again, the club spent four years in Ligue 1 before another relegation.

Disastrous legal issues off the field followed Le Mans' relegation from Ligue 2 in the 2011-2012 season, and the club was liquidated before being reformed as an amateur club much further down the pyramid.

Three consecutive promotions from 2016 to 2019 saw Le Mans return to Ligue 2. The club was controversially relegated the following year because the 2019-2020 season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with Le Mans in the relegation places.

After a five-year absence, Le Mans were promoted back to Ligue 2 last season. The future now looks even brighter after an impressive range of investors came together to buy the club in Northwestern France.

Franguilis, founder and chief Executive Officer of the healthy fast food brand Oakberry, is set to play a key role with the club moving forward. He has agreed to be the Chief Branding Officer, working alongside Le Man's club manager Thierry Gomez.

Djokovic bought his stake in the club with ex-Formula One drivers Felipe Massa and Kevin Magnussen. Brazilian sports investment firm OutField is also involved in the sale.

Although Djokovic has no immediate plans to retire and previously mentioned wanting to compete at the 2028 Olympics, buying a stake in a football club might be a step towards planning his future after retiring from professional tennis.

Hopefully, that moment does not arrive soon. Despite admitting he struggles physically in the latter stages of Grand Slams more than in the past, the Serbian did not think his 2025 Wimbledon Championships semifinal loss to Jannik Sinner would be his last appearance at SW19.

Djokovic's next scheduled tournament is the 2025 Cincinnati Open. He skipped that event last year after winning Olympic gold in Paris. He, Carlos Alcaraz, and Jannik Sinner all withdrew from the 2025 Canadian Open, considerably weakening the ATP field.