Spirit owner Michele Kang sets vision for future of women’s soccer with new global football group

Michele Kang signs on for a video chat from Lyon, smiling, clearly relieved to be nearly at the finish line for a blockbuster deal with OL Groupe that will result in her leadership as majority owner and CEO of a new global multi-club women’s football organization. More clubs will be added — perhaps sooner than expected — but to start, the new entity will include the currently undefeated, top of the NWSL Washington Spirit and eight-time Champions League winners Olympique Lyonnais Féminin.

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“The vision was always there,” she says.

Kang’s global ambitions were also always there, starting with her entrance into women’s soccer in December 2020 as a minority investor of the Spirit and continuing through Tuesday’s announcement.

“It was a matter of time,” she told The Athletic. Following a protracted campaign to take over as the Spirit’s majority owner, one she ultimately achieved by March 2022, Kang first prioritized righting the ship in D.C. It has not been a perfect process, but on the field, the Spirit has seen early success and are currently top of the league.

“First, my focus was on the product. The coaches, the general manager, Dawn Scott and all that,” she said. “Because if our product is not good, we can’t survive. That was our focus, and our sports operations team is working beautifully. As you can see, every game we’re improving.”

Between her NWSL experience and her travels visiting other clubs, there’s been one key lesson for Kang: a “singular focus” is what women’s football deserves.

“Quite frankly, if I had only the Spirit, it would be very hard to sustain the level of investment that I was doing,” she said.

While expenditure has certainly increased across the NWSL, especially for the Spirit, Angel City,