Southampton bought by firm fronted by Serbian media giant

SOUTHAMPTON, England (AP) — Southampton has been bought by a company fronted by the founder of eastern European telecommunications giant United Group. Dragan Solak’s Sport Republic purchased the 80% stake held by Gao Jisheng. Gao is a Chinese businessman who has been majority shareholder at the south-coast club since 2017. No financial details were disclosed by Southampton. The team is 14th in the 20-team league and has been in England’s top division since 2012. Sport Republic is an investment firm in the sports and entertainment industry and described by Southampton chief executive Martin Semmens as “the right partner to take the club forward.”