Final Third LLC wins second tender with a 775 million forint bid
Cser-Palkovics András, the mayor of Székesfehérvár, announced in early July that the club’s second sale tender had produced a winner: Final Third LLC, a company registered in the United States, offered 775 million forints for Fehérvár FC Kft., the entity that runs the Videoton team, and the city had 45 days to sign a contract, Index reported.
The American company was described as professionally and financially linked to Benfica, the Portuguese top-flight club, with significant financial strength and sporting expertise. Even so, the 45 days proved too short for the company to present the most basic documents, legal and financial verifications required for the deal.
Talks with Final Third collapse; a third run is not ruled out
Negotiations with Final Third LLC broke down after the deadline passed without the required paperwork. According to the reporting, it is not excluded that the company will enter the third tender round as well.
By late August, Cser-Palkovics was preparing for the worst-case scenario: that Vidi, as the club is known, would have no new owner for the time being. The municipal assembly asked the club’s management and the city administration’s experts for a precise financial strategy covering the case of a failed sale — when and how much of a financial burden it would place on the municipality for both the youth academy and the professional team. The mayor said keeping the club running until June 2027 would cost at least 750 million forints.
Racing City Group cannot produce bank guarantees
After the first winner fell through, talks opened with Racing City Group Worldwide Ltd, the second-place bidder registered in Great Britain. The company’s owner even attended a supporters’ survey of the team and outlined a bright future — but shortly afterwards it emerged that no agreement would be reached, because Racing could not present the bank guarantees.
The federation warns relegation is a realistic scenario
The Hungarian Football Federation (MLSZ) watched the events in Székesfehérvár with concern. Vági Márton, the federation’s general secretary, told Index that finding a suitable owner within a foreseeable time is an existential question for the Videoton.
Third tender launched with simplified terms
Cser-Palkovics made clear that the municipality still does not want to own, maintain or operate a sports club. In October he announced that the municipal assembly had agreed on the terms of the third tender round for the sale of Fehérvár FC Kft. The conditions were simplified compared with the previous rounds, in the hope of finally finding a new owner who is ready and able to take responsibility for the club’s long-term operation. The tender was to be published in early November and completed within the same year — and during that time no municipal funds would be needed for the club’s operation.
The city bought the club for one forint after relegation
Videoton was relegated from the Hungarian top division, NB I, in 2025. The city then bought Fehérvár FC from the previous owner, Garancsi István, for one forint. Even then the municipality set strict conditions, the most important being that it cannot and does not want to support the adult professional team with public money, and it wanted to own the club for a maximum of one season, since the professional team’s financing was secured for one season without municipal contribution.
Videoton was the showcase team of the 2010s
In the 2010s the club was Hungarian football’s flagship side: it won all three of its league titles in that decade, the last one in 2018, lifted the Hungarian Cup, and twice reached the Europa League group stage.
Did you know? The three league titles Videoton won in the 2010s all came in that decade — the most recent in 2018 — and the club reached the Europa League group stage twice during that period.
Questions readers still ask about the Vidi sale
Could Videoton be relegated if no new owner is found?
Yes. Vági Márton, general secretary of the Hungarian Football Federation, told Index that if no suitable owner is found and the municipality cannot keep financing the club, relegation is a realistic scenario.
How much would it cost Székesfehérvár to keep running the club?
According to Mayor Cser-Palkovics András, operating the club until June 2027 would cost the municipality at least 750 million forints.
Why did the city buy the club for one forint?
After Videoton’s relegation from NB I in 2025, the city of Székesfehérvár purchased Fehérvár FC Kft. from previous owner Garancsi István for one forint, with the stated intention of owning it for no more than one season and without injecting public money into the professional team.
Why did the deal with Final Third LLC fall through?
The company was given 45 days to sign the contract but failed to deliver the basic documents and the legal and financial verifications required, so negotiations were ended.
Who will answer the third tender, and whether any bidder can finally produce the documents the previous two could not, remains the open question.
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