5 takeovers that destroyed football clubs

#1 The Venkys (Blackburn Rovers)

Balaji(L) and Venkatesh Rao(R) have owned Blackburn Rovers since 2010

Who else than Blackburn? Their story of fall from grace is nothing short of tragic, considering that they are the first Premier League champions to play in the third-tier of English football.

Their descent began when the Venky's, an Indian company from the poultry industry, purchased 99.9% of the shares, thereby becoming the sole owners of the club.

Blackburn had been a constant Premier League presence for eleven years before the Indian owners decided to splurge the cash on them. Apart from the fake promises they made like attempting to sign Ronaldinho, the Indians have destroyed the stability of the club by appointing seven managers since the ill-fated takeover. Also, the club has plunged into an ocean of debts of over $100 million.

With many of the fans blaming the owners for the downfall and Alan Shearer recently blasting them for their manhandling of the club, there seems no particular hope for Blackburn's revival.

For a club like Blackburn who once boasted the likes of Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton in their shirts, the spiral down the pedestal is nothing less than sorrowful.