When a Goalkeeper Meets Big Investors: Courtois and Djokovic Back a French Club
19 February 2026
Overview
Thibaut Courtois, Real Madrid’s goalkeeper, enters football governance and investment by becoming a stakeholder in a French club.
He is joined by tennis star Novak Djokovic, with other notable figures rounding out the investor group.
Le Mans and the broader investor lineup
Le Mans, currently fifth in France's Ligue 2, announced a wide internal restructuring as part of the new investment push.
The Brazilian sports fund Outfield emerged as the largest shareholder, while Courtois added capital through his investment vehicle NextPlay.
Last summer, Le Mans confirmed Outfield would acquire a minority stake in the club.
Other high-profile names such as Djokovic, Felipe Massa and former Formula 1 driver Kevin Magnussen joined the investor roster, signaling a cross-sport funding trend.
Note: some investors are swapping ball sports for boardroom games, proving football is the sport where crossovers happen more often than a midfield switch.
Punchline 1: If this venture stumbles, Courtois can still save the books with a few clean sheets on the balance sheet.
Punchline 2: Djokovic on the board? Finally a serve that returns capital, not just balls.
