Salford Red Devils takeover: what happens next and who are the new owners?

The future of Salford Red Devils has been saved after a consortium led by Swiss investment banker Dario Berta completed a 100 per cent purchase of the stricken Super League club.

Berta and the new consortium have not only wiped the club’s historical debt, but they have promised to make significant investment into the club on and off the field in the coming years after striking a deal subject to final Rugby Football League approval.

More details are expected to be confirmed in the coming days and weeks about the identity of Berta’s new consortium, and what their specific plans are for the Red Devils.

But for now, here’s everything we know so far – and what might happen next in the imminent future.

Who is the new ownership group?

So far, we know only of Berta’s name as one of the consortium: and there is not much to be known from his background as things stand.

We do know he is a Swiss-born investment banker. We also know he is the CEO of a British-based company, Matanel. They were formed in 2023 according to Companies House: but their first accounts, to April 2024, are overdue as of the time of writing.

Berta does have a long line of record with banking companies in Switzerland. He is also a partner at the banking firm, Caputo and Partners.

We do know slightly more about the man who will be running Salford day-to-day: their new CEO, Chris Irwin. That is because Irwin is a former Red Devils employee, having spend just over a year with the club as their chief commercial officer.

Irwin only left that role five months ago to take up a similar position with EFL League One club Exeter City. But he is now back at Salford in a more senior, high-profile role.

What happens next?

As mentioned in the new consortium’s statement, the takeover remains subject to final RFL approval. They will need to pass a fit and proper owner’s test: a test that appears almost certain never to be failed, given the character of some former club owners that have emerged in rugby league.

But crucially, the new owners need to go to the RFL upon completion and ask for the measures placed upon the club to be lifted with immediate effect.

Salford play their first Super League game next Saturday against St Helens. That means that by Thursday lunchtime, they will need to name a 21-man squad for the game: and they cannot afford a repeat of this week, when Paul Rowley was limited to just £1.2million of talent at his disposal.

Salford need their sustainability cap limit lifted as quickly as possible. They will have to show the RFL there is funding in place to give the governing body confidence there will be no further financial issues. Again, if they have just gained approval from the governing body for the takeover, there is no reason this would realistically be rejected.

There are also expected to be accelerated developments on the stadium front, too. The new ownership group are open to the prospect of owning the Salford Community Stadium: if the Council wanted to sell. But that is a discussion for later down the line.

The new consortium are also expected to meet with the media next week in the run-up to the first Super League game. It is there we will likely learn more about Berta and the individuals who are running Salford.