Żabbar St Patrick FC could be heading into a major new chapter, with Southampton chairman and Sport Republic lead investor Dragan Šolak reportedly close to acquiring a majority stake in the Maltese club.
Talks are understood to have progressed significantly, with local reports stating that an agreement is in place but remains subject to final regulatory clearance and formalisation.
For now, that means the transaction should not be treated as a completed takeover.
If approved, however, it would connect Żabbar St Patrick with one of the most prominent figures currently involved in multi-club football investment in Europe.
Who is Dragan Šolak?
Šolak is the lead investor and chairman of Sport Republic, while also serving as chairman of Southampton FC.
Southampton officially identifies Šolak as the club’s ultimate beneficial owner. The English club is owned through St Mary’s Football Group, which is majority owned by Sport Republic.
Sport Republic’s football interests extend beyond England. The group also holds majority stakes in French side Valenciennes FC and Turkish club Göztepe SK, alongside other football and technology investments.
Sport Republic first took a controlling stake in Southampton in January 2022, with Šolak subsequently taking over as the club’s chairman in January 2025.
What could it mean for Żabbar St Patrick?
Reports surrounding the proposed deal suggest that the potential investment could extend beyond simply providing new capital.
The prospect nevertheless arrives at an interesting stage in the Żabbar club’s development.
Żabbar St Patrick worked their way back into Malta’s top division after successive progress through the domestic leagues, securing their return to the Premier League in 2024.
The club has also been working on its sporting infrastructure. Parliamentary records from 2023 confirm agreements involving SportMalta and Żabbar St Patrick for sites in Żabbar intended for sporting use.
Another international link for Maltese club football
Šolak’s involvement would give a Malta Premier club a direct ownership link to a businessman already operating at considerably higher levels of European football.
There is also a personal Malta connection. Local reports describe Šolak as a Maltese citizen, while football ownership records have previously listed his nationality as Malta in relation to his Sport Republic holdings.
The proposed acquisition has not yet crossed the finish line, though.
Until the necessary approvals are secured and the transaction is formally announced, Šolak’s majority investment remains a reported deal in progress rather than a completed change of ownership.
If it does go through, it could represent one of the more significant recent international investments in Maltese club football and open a very different chapter in Żabbar St Patrick’s development.
