Dmitry Markov, a local banking consultant from Ernst &Young, Moscow used to play soccer at leisure. When he damaged his left leg’s ligament he could not keep doing it anymore. But, to make a balance between work and rest he started sport business consulting. Sport business management in Russia is miserable and was never effective. Business people never saw this industry as the object of their investments and did not seriously consider working there.

Despaired to find interested investors Dmitry offered soccer fans to have a whip round and to buy a soccer club which would be under their exclusive management. He is actually the first among Russian business people who tried this innovative project finance in Russia and now, to say so, this is an example for other projects previously rejected by conventional investors.

Crowd funding provides financing from micro investors who invest a small amount of money, like $50-$100 each one. These micro loans pooled together in one big investment. All that needs to do is to find group of investors who want to join forces for specific project. They usually look not for dividends but for the opportunity to participate and influence on a project like that one of Dmitry.

It is not easy, however, to get these funds without a crowd of fans and their interest to a project. What are the most suitable people? Right, soccer fans army. Barcelona club, third world biggest soccer club belongs to about 150.000 fans. Madrid’s Real the same. Fans don’t give money for future dividends. They do it for their right of the direct election of club’s President and club’s management.

On December 10 last year the project was started. Dmitry launched club’s website “My Football Club”. The beginning was so terrific that website collapsed immediately. 1800 fans registered during first few hours. First funds were raised quite quickly.

However, the project didn’t run smoothly. Eventually it ended up without a necessary number of participants and Dmitry decided to spend money for attracting new fans. “We plan to attract 200.000 people to our website during next few months. If 10% register on the website we will have 20.000 new investors”, says Dmitry.

According an opinion of local business people his project seems to be complicated and will loose an interest of soccer fans pretty soon. Notwithstanding pessimistic comments however, a new type of projects started in Russia. Business people there may like it or not, but they need to deal with it. Business innovation is impossible to stop.