Blackbridge Team

Alexander is the Founder of Blackbridge Sports LLC. He specialises in structuring, advising, and facilitating cross-border business transactions and investment deals - primarily focused on acquisitions of football clubs across the UK and Europe by US-based investors.

Football Club M&A - Alexander was the first British financier to set up a football-focused investment advisory company to assist Chinese investors in acquiring European Football Clubs. Alexander has brokered 25 investments to date (16 in England) for investors from the United States, Kuwait, India, China, Canada and the UK.

Alexander has facilitated over £147 million ($200 million) in football finance to date, specialising in the structuring of collateral-backed lending facilities for clubs across the English football pyramid. His work involves close collaboration with prominent American family offices and institutional investors, helping clubs unlock value from their unique commercial assets while maintaining operational stability. With a deep understanding of the financial, regulatory, and cultural dynamics of the football industry, Alexander has built Blackbridge’s reputation for delivering tailored funding solutions that align long-term investor goals with the strategic needs of clubs.

Paul is a corporate, M&A and sports law expert with more than 25 years of experience advising ultra-high-net-worth individuals, investors and boards on complex cross-border matters. Based in the UK between Cardiff and London, he provides a boutique, bespoke service as a trusted adviser on high-value transactions, disputes and regulatory issues.

Paul brings extensive experience in football club investment, cross-border M&A, high-stakes litigation and regulatory compliance. He has advised on the sale and acquisition of professional football clubs across the UK and Europe, while also acting as lead counsel and advocate in matters before FIFA, CAS, commercial courts and other tribunals. His work is centred on protecting enterprise value, managing risk and delivering commercially focused solutions for owners, investors and boards.

His broader background includes advising on complex disputes and transactions involving commercial contracts, land rights, mining, oil and gas, joint ventures and international investment programmes across Europe, Asia, the Caribbean, the Middle East and the United States. He is also highly experienced in governance, crisis management and navigating regulatory frameworks including FA, UEFA, FCA, GDPR and ESG.

Matthew Walzer is an American operator focused on cross border transaction origination, capital matching and market intelligence for Blackbridge’s investment mandates across Europe and the Middle East.

His core responsibility centres on sourcing proprietary opportunities for Blackbridge clients and identifying targeted buyers and capital partners for Blackbridge opportunities. He actively supports the deal pipeline by running early stage buy side and sell side processes, managing deal documentation and preparing investment materials. He also has experience coordinating live transaction workflows and capital sourcing strategies on behalf of US based family offices and institutional allocators.

Having lived across five countries and three continents, including the United States, China, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and Italy, Matthew brings a highly mobile perspective to international capital corridors. Currently pursuing his degree at Bocconi University and based between Milan and New York, he helps maintain origination channels with clubs across Europe. Matthew works directly alongside Blackbridge’s leadership to help drive active deal processes through to completion.

From 2013 to 2022, Jorge served as President of Real Oviedo, a historic Spanish football club currently competing in La Liga. During his tenure, the club was owned by the Mexican multinational conglomerate Grupo Carso, chaired by Carlos Slim, one of the world’s most prominent businessmen. In addition to his leadership role at Real Oviedo, Jorge has held influential positions within the broader football ecosystem, including serving on the board of directors of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and contributing as a member of UEFA’s Panel of Administrative Experts.

Jorge’s professional background is rooted in engineering. He is a qualified mining engineer with a specialization in energy and mineral processing technology, as well as extractive metallurgy. His expertise spans across the international mining and metallurgical sectors, with additional experience in energy and industrial project development - particularly in areas such as thermal power generation, combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) systems, and biomass energy projects.

Over the course of his career, Jorge has accumulated more than nine years of hands-on experience in commissioning and optimizing process plants across Spain. His work has included operations involving feldspar, gold, copper, zinc, and nickel, giving him a deep understanding of technical operations, industrial scaling, and sustainable resource management within complex industrial environments.

Jorge works closely with Blackbridge on identifying and evaluating investment opportunities across the Spanish market, particularly in the football and sports infrastructure sectors. He is a trusted advisor, combining technical expertise with a wealth of experience in football governance and executive leadership at the highest levels of the game in Spain. He is fluent in Spanish, English, and French.

Omar Imtiaz is a British-born entrepreneur, investor, and strategic advisor with over 23 years of experience in real estate, cross-border private equity, and alternative investments. Currently serving as the Chief Executive of Imtiaz Holdings, he has been at the forefront of structuring and managing high-value transactions, successfully originating and advising on investments exceeding $3 billion USD to date.

Renowned for his expertise in advising sovereign households, government entities, and institutional investors, Omar has played a pivotal role in promoting economic growth, foreign direct investment, and bilateral trade across key global markets. His strategic vision has helped shape landmark real estate developments, large-scale infrastructure projects, and high-impact private equity investments across UK, Europe, North America, the Middle East and emerging markets.

Previously, Omar served as Managing Director at Abu Dhabi Capital Partners, a sovereign affiliated family boutique. In 2014, he facilitated large scale foreign direct investments into Cuba and advised on securing normalisation of ties between its neighbouring counties. Having co-led the acquisition of Ligue1 French football club OGC Nice in 2016, he served as a shareholder and advisory board member until 2019, when the sale of the club achieved >3.5x ROI for the investment group.

Beyond his business endeavours, Omar is deeply committed to philanthropy through his charitable foundation, focusing on education, poverty alleviation, shelter, and healthcare. Omar holds a Private Equity and Real Estate Investment certification from the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School and is completing an advantaged management program at Harvard Business School.

Fluent in four languages, and intermediate level in another two, Omar is a global citizen with a passion for football, sailing, traveling, horse riding, golf, Formula 1 and arts.

Hannah has extensive experience as an Operations Manager, having worked for in both South Africa and the UAE, living in Dubai for over 10 years. This international exposure has provided her with a well-rounded perspective on cross-cultural management and operations, as well as the ability to adapt quickly in dynamic, fast-paced environments. Her time in Dubai especially allowed her to develop a keen understanding of diverse industries and the unique challenges of managing across different cultures.

Known for her proactive approach and exceptional efficiency, Hannah is highly regarded for her outstanding organizational skills. She has an impressive ability to manage complex tasks, maintain clear communication, and prioritize effectively, ensuring smooth workflows. Her calm, solutions-focused mindset enables her to tackle any challenge head-on, making her a reliable asset to any team or project.

Currently, Hannah works as a personal assistant and on back office administration at Blackbridge. She tailors solutions to meet the unique needs of each client, helping them streamline operations and improve overall efficiency. Her broad skill set in digital solutions and project management allows her to navigate a variety of business landscapes with ease and precision, ensuring that each project is executed with the highest level of professionalism.