It started with pints and pub crawls in Lancashire. Now it stretches to La Liga.

J.J. Watt, the former NFL star turned Burnley investor and ambassador, is officially expanding his footprint in European football. As part of a multi-club ownership group led by Burnley chairman Alan Pace, Watt has joined the takeover of Spanish side RCD Espanyol. The move brings together Premier League and La Liga ambition under a single investment banner.

The deal, announced this week, sees Velocity Sports Limited (VSL), a UK-based vehicle under Pace’s ALK Capital, acquire 99.66% of Espanyol for €130 million. The structure is familiar: VSL becomes Espanyol’s majority owner while maintaining control of Burnley. Both clubs will operate independently, though they now share the same ownership umbrella. The Rastar Group, which had owned Espanyol since 2016, retains a minority stake and board veto rights, ensuring some continuity during the transition.

A new era in Barcelona

While Pace and ALK Capital manage the financial levers, Watt’s role is rooted in visibility, passion, and cultural translation. At Burnley, he became more than an investor. He was a mascot, a marketing engine, and by many accounts, a true believer. He made headlines for singing with fans, wearing the scarf proudly, and pledging emotional investment alongside the financial one. That same playbook is likely to follow him to Barcelona.

Espanyol supporters, long living in the shadow of city rivals Barcelona, are approaching this change with cautious optimism. The Rastar era delivered European nights, but also two relegations and a lingering sense of drift. Watt and Pace inherit a club freshly promoted and narrowly saved from another drop. Their project doesn’t begin from scratch, but with a fanbase eager for clarity, stability, and upward momentum.

As with Burnley, the new owners have promised equal priority. Espanyol will not become a feeder club, they insist, but a pillar of a growing football network. Burnley, for their part, are also riding high. They’re back in the Premier League for the 2025–26 season after a 100-point promotion campaign. The message is clear: this group isn’t here to tread water.

That’s where Watt becomes more than decoration. He brings name recognition in a crowded sports economy. He draws in American audiences. And for a club looking to modernize its commercial reach while staying true to its Catalan roots, that blend of marketing punch and cultural curiosity could prove valuable.

How fans in Spain respond remains to be seen. But if past is prologue, Watt will be there soon, shaking hands, raising scarves, maybe even learning a line or two of Catalan. And if results follow, Espanyol might not only stay in La Liga, but become part of something much bigger.

No NFL tackles required.