Victor MacFarlane has the ultimate credential as proof of his interest in soccer.
The leader of D.C. United’s new ownership group saw first-hand when France’s Zinedine Zidane drove his head into the chest of Italy’s Marco Materazzi at the World Cup final in Berlin last summer.
His acquisition of United’s operating rights were already underway at that point, but “the World Cup added to the excitement,” said MacFarlane, who was introduced at a news conference Monday at the Williard Intercontinental along with co-owners William H.C. “Will” Chang and Brian Davis.
As the controlling member of the group — which paid a Major League Soccer-record $33 million in cash to purchase the team’s operating rights from Anschutz Entertainment Group — MacFarlane, 54, becomes the league’s first African-American owner.
“This is an unbelievably important first for us,” said MLS commissioner Don Garber, “a statement that we are not just a league for a new America on the field and in our stadiums, but in our front office.”
“For me, being an African-American and being a sports management major, it just shows that not only can you play sports, but there’s life after sports in what you want to do,” said United defender John Wilson, one of a number of players present for the announcement. “I think it’s great.”
United president and CEO Kevin Payne will continue to run the club’s everyday operations.
Members of the D.C. City Council and other politicians also were in attendance to show support for the new owners.
While no announcements were made regarding United’s continued pursuit of a stadium at Poplar Point, MacFarlane said he would provide any and all resources to help United contend for championships.
“The minds in our organization are used to success in our businesses,” said MacFarlane. “As far as we’re concerned, while we love soccer, this is another business, and success is defined as winning.”
United approach
D.C. United’s new ownership group is markedly diverse.
» Victor MacFarlane — Managing principal of MacFarlane Parnters, one of the nation’s leading minority-owned real estate investment managementfirms.
» Will Chang — A Chinese-Japanese American, Chang is chairman of the global investment firm Westlake International Group and one of the owners of Major League Baseball’s San Francisco Giants
» Brian Davis — An African-American who grew up and lives in the District, is managing partner of real estate development firm Blue Devil Partners and a former Duke basketball player. Davis’ business partner and former teammate, Christian Laettner, was also in attendance.
» Multiple others could be added to the ownership group, including John S. Hendricks, founder and chairman of Discovery Communications; Allen Warren, a real estate development firm executive; and Black Entertainment Television talk show host Carlos Watson.
