Drake Helps Venezia FC Secure $118 Million Investment Ahead of Serie A Return
"We will be relentless in our pursuit of excellence and victories" — those are the words of Tim Leiweke, the sports executive who transformed both LA Galaxy and Toronto FC into championship-winning clubs while building state-of-the-art facilities. Now he's taking on a new challenge as co-chairman at Venezia FC, and the Italian club has paid handsomely to bring him aboard.
The Venice-based football club has locked down a €100-million ($117.72 million CAD) minority investment, with Canadian hip-hop superstar Drake — who joined as an investor back in 2024 — playing a key role in making the deal happen and recruiting Leiweke and his daughter Francesca Bodie to the project. Bodie will serve as club president. This is far from a celebrity gimmick. Leiweke's resume includes executive roles with the Los Angeles Lakers, LA Galaxy, and Toronto Maple Leafs. The man understands what it takes to build winning organizations.
Back in the top flight, but the hard part starts now
The investment comes at a crucial moment. Venezia confirmed their Serie A promotion last week with a match to spare, earning the necessary point in a 2-2 draw against Spezia to climb back into Italy's elite division — just one year after suffering relegation in 2025. The immediate bounce-back showed resilience. Competing against Serie A's established powerhouses will be an entirely different beast.
That's precisely why €100 million represents more than just a splashy headline — it's essential infrastructure. Newly-promoted sides in Serie A without substantial financial resources typically face a brutal fight for survival. With this capital injection, Venezia can strengthen their roster properly, build squad depth, and — if Leiweke's vision of creating a "world-class home" is genuine — potentially tackle stadium improvements as well.
As the transfer window approaches, betting markets for Venezia's Serie A survival odds will be particularly interesting to monitor. A club arriving in the top tier with this level of financial support and executive leadership isn't your typical relegation favourite — though history is littered with well-funded projects that couldn't bridge the gap between boardroom ambition and on-pitch results.
- Total investment: €100 million ($117.72 million CAD)
- Tim Leiweke named co-chairman of Venezia's operating committee
- Francesca Bodie appointed as club president
- Drake became an investor in 2024
- Promotion secured following 2-2 result at Spezia
Leiweke was direct in his messaging: he's applying the same blueprint that produced championships in Los Angeles and Toronto to Venice. Whether Italy's top division cooperates with that plan remains to be seen.