Vendis Capital takes a majority stake in the PLAYERS group, a player in sports recreation.
Vendis Capital is making the investment together with founders Tony Jalinier, Guillaume Debelmas and Joseph Viéville and management.
The PLAYERS group, which was created from the merger of Soccer Park and LE FIVE in 2016, profiles itself as an important player in indoor sports recreation in France. In its 35 centers spread across the country (23 self-managed and 12 franchised), PLAYERS offers accessible, fun and inclusive sports activities that emphasize fun and conviviality.
As a historic player in 'five-a-side' football, a simplified form of football in which two teams of five people play on a smaller field, the group has also been a pioneer in the padel market since 2014 under the LE FIVE brand. With the 4PADEL brand, launched in 2018, PLAYERS has established itself as the leader in indoor padel in France and directly contributes to the growth of this racket sport, which is played with four people.
Mathieu de Medeiros, Partner at Vendis Capital, is excited about this collaboration: “We are very happy to join forces with Guillaume, Joseph, Tony and their teams and guide them in this new growth chapter for PLAYERS. We are convinced that the recreational sports market is future-proof, supported by strong and sustainable social trends and that, thanks to the quality of the work the team has done to date, PLAYERS is ideally positioned to grow and maintain its leading position consolidate."
Vendis Capital's majority stake in PLAYERS is Vendis Capital IV's second investment.
