THE owner of English Premier League club, Brentford, has bought the Spanish third tier side, Merida AD.

Matthew Benham’s holding company, Best Intentions Analytics, has secured 100% of the shares in the Extremadura region club that is chasing promotion to the Segunda division.

The Brentford chairman Cliff Crown will become Merida’s club president, while directors of the London club, Nity Raj and Phil Whall will also be joining the board.

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All three men will maintain their existing positions with Brentford.

Cliff Crown said: “It is a great honour to be part of Merida, a historic team not only in the region, but also in Spanish football.”

“The project at Merida will continue on the same basis as it is currently, maintaining the foundations of the great work that has been carried out so far.”

“This was another key factor in our decision to commit to this club, along with the fact that it has been run on a sound financial footing,” he added.

American Mark Heffernan- the previous owner- became the majority shareholder in October 2021 and, just a year later, became president.

In his first season, 2021-2022, the team finished second in the league and achieved promotion to the Second Federation.

The following year, Merida performed well and consolidated its position in the top flight of Spanish football’s third tier, achieving a remarkable 8th place in the Primera Federacion.

Last season, the team finished twelfth and under coach Sergi Guillo are currently second in the table.

The club thanked Mark Heffernan for his commitment to Merida and he will remain as a consultant for the next twelve months during the transition to the new owners.

A news conference will be held on Wednesday to announce further details.