What was Sunderland AFC majority owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus doing before he joined the club? | OneFootball

A closer inspection of Kyril Louis-Dreyfus' family and what he did before buying a controlling share in Sunderland AFC.

Kyril Louis-Dreyfus became the majority shareholder of Sunderland in 2022, when he increased his share in the club to 51%, as reported by the Sunderland Echo.

Louis-Dreyfus took over the club as chairman and controlling shareholder in 2021, as per Sky Sports, when the club were in League One. He became the youngest ever chairman in English football and vowed to bring sustainability to the club.

While some will be familiar with the majority shareholder's surname, we take a look at the chairman's family history and what he did before he took over the club.

Kyril Louis-Dreyfus has football in his blood

Given Louis-Dreyfus' family history, it is no surprise that the 26-year-old became the youngest ever club owner in English football history.

The Swiss-based owner is the son of the late Robert Louis-Dreyfus, who was the owner of Olimpique de Marseille. Kyril's father was a highly successful business person and was the CEO of Adidas and advertising giants Saatchi & Saatchi.

During Robert's 13-year tenure at Marseille, the French club made a resurgence as one of European football's greats. Under his reign, the club achieved two European finals, two second-place finishes in Ligue 1 and an Intertoto Cup triumph.

While all of this was going on at Marseille, Kyril was observing and learning first hand what it meant to be part of a football club rich in history. Indeed, he was heavily involved with the club and was often in the company of professional footballers.

During his time in France, Kyril learned the fine details of what it is like to run a football club, and was even invited along to witness transfers and contracts being negotiated, as per The Athletic.

As the son of Robert, Kyril is the heir to a multi-billion-pound fortune but has applied a sustainable approach during his stint in the North East, rather than splashing the cash.

Kyril Louis-Dreyfus studied at Leeds Becket University

In 2017, Louis-Dreyfus enrolled at the Leeds campus of RIASA (the Richmond International Academic & Soccer Academy). The course he enrolled on covered all aspects of the football industry, including coaching, history and administration.

When Louis-Dreyfus was studying on the course, he focused on the academic side of football with a view to becoming involved in the business side of the sport.

Speaking to The Athletic, Rob Jones, who was leading the course at the time, commented on Louis Dreyfus' time on the course: “He was very knowledgeable about football, about individuals — just passionate about the game, really. It was nice to see. He was doing sport and business and management, it was all together.

“Kyril listened, and he was always asking questions about formations and styles. There was an interest there. He was asking about coaching sessions, strength and conditioning sessions, how things fit together on and off the pitch. His interest was the all-encompassing football world.

“He was in Leeds for a year, and then he moved down to the campus in Richmond in London to finish off the academic side.”

Jones also spoke out on when Louis-Dreyfus was first linked with Sunderland: “It was a shock to see (Louis-Dreyfus linked with Sunderland) at first.

"But then you think about him, and it’s not a surprise if he goes down that route. He was very interested in football as a whole, the off-field as much as what’s on it. And he has a background in that environment."

As the youngest ever chairman in English football, Louis-Dreyfus had not done too much in the line of work prior to buying a controlling share in Sunderland.

However, as a child he benefited from observing from his father at Marseille and learned the fine details of what was to be his future career.

Having studied at Leeds Becket University, Louis-Dreyfus went on to fulfill his destiny as chairman and has structured Sunderland in a way that is sustainable for the future.