Media Sports Investment

Media Sports Investment is the international fund of investors that runs Brazilian football club Sport Club Corinthians Paulista.

Corinthians signed a controversial deal with MSI in 2004 that grants the company a large degree of control of the club, in exchange for large investments. The deal lasts for 10 years. This brought many good quality players to the team, such as former Boca Juniors star Carlos Tévez, midfielders Marcelo Mattos, Gustavo Nery, Roger, Javier Mascherano and Carlos Alberto, and defenders Seba Dominguez and Marinho, as well as coaches Passarella, Márcio Bittencourt and Antonio Lopes. In exchange for paying off the clubs £20 million debts the company were given control over all of Corinthians assets, including the players.

At the beginning of the 2005-06 season, MSI was behind an attempt by Kia Joorabchian to take over English club West Ham United. The plan was officially abandoned in November of the same year, when agreement on a valuation of the club could not be reached. They were also rumoured to be considering a buyout of Aston Villa around the same time.

MSI was registered as a company in London on 31 August 2004 with Joorabchian and Nojan Bedroud listed as directors in filings at Companies House.

Rumours persist over the involvement of Russian oligarchs Roman Abramovich and Boris Berezovsky behind the scenes of MSI, with Chelsea FC owner Abramovich reputedly owning a 15% share of the investment group.

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