Leeds United have the same owners as the San Francisco 49ers, who face the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday
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A wave of American ownership has swept through English football over recent years, with several clubs outside of the Premier League undergoing significant change as a result.
49ers Enterprises assumed full control of Leeds United last summer, despite them dropping out of the top division. The deal saw Paraag Marathe take over as chairman from Andrea Radrizzani and he hinted at big plans for the future.
"This is an important moment for Leeds United and we are already hard at work," said Marathe. "This transition is a necessary reset to chart a new course for the Club."
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Steady progress has been made so far, with Leeds third in the Championship, behind fellow relegated sides Leicester City and Southampton, after 30 games.
The success of NFL heavyweights the San Francisco 49ers, who share the same owners, could be another good omen for the future of the club.
The 49ers face the Kansas City Chiefs in this Sunday's Super Bowl, aiming to claim the sixth title in their history and the first since 1994.
Marathe is expected to be in attendance along with several members of the York family, who established 49ers Enterprises to invest in other sports teams using the same approach as they have in American football.
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Given the strong links between the two clubs, many Leeds supporters are likely to be rooting for the San Francisco 49ers and hoping to replicate their success.
Several leading sports figures have invested in 49ers Enterprises, including golfers Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth, swimmer Michael Phelps, and several basketball stars like Andre Iguodala.
The Super Bowl will take place a day after Leeds have hosted Yorkshire rivals Rotherham United, who are bottom of the Championship and seemingly destined for relegation.
On a run of five consecutive wins, Daniel Farke's side will be expecting another three points to strengthen their promotion push.
Sean Cole is a freelance journalist. He has written for FourFourTwo, BBC Sport and When Saturday Comes among others. A Birmingham City supporter and staunch Nikola Zigic advocate, he once scored a hat-trick at St. Andrew’s (in a half-time game). He also has far too many football shirts and spends far too much time reading the Wikipedia pages of obscure players.
