Baseball champion carves a new path in Spanish football: “You’re never the expert. You’re always the outsider”
IMAGO: Jeff Luhnow speaking at a press conference in June 2023 as the owner of CD Leganes through his CEO-role of the investment group Blue Crow Sports Group.
McKinsey alumni Jeff Luhnow helped mastermind baseball World Series titles with a few clubs. Now his ambitions are in football, where he leads a multiclub ownership group spanning LaLiga, Mexico, Czechia and UAE.
With a focus on African talent and strategic partnerships, Luhnow aims to leverage his expertise to elevate clubs like CD Leganés and create a sustainable, competitive edge in global football.
Why it matters: Luhnow’s journey encourages a rethinking of how sports organisations are run, pushing for innovation, efficiency and inclusivity in talent development.
The perspective: Despite his background in management consultancy, and despite the generous praise he gives to his managerial colleagues, Luhnow also acknowledges the magic ingredient that can ensure sporting success: luck.
9 August 2024 - 10:56 AM
In the beginning there was baseball’s Billy Beane. The Oakland Athletics general manager achieved global renown in the early noughties by applying data analytics to baseball and achieving success far beyond the Athletics’ financial reach. It made him the subject of a bestselling book, Moneyball, and a film in which Brad Pitt played his role.
But while Beane and the phrase “Moneyball” has assumed a kind of mythological status across the sporting world, the work of Beane’s spiritual succe
Get smarter in minutes. Straight to your inbox
21-day free trial
Activate instantly with the link we’ll send you.
