Headlines: Successful Gambler Leads Ascendant Spanish Club

The Sunday Times:

[Haralabos "Bob"] Voulgaris had begun playing professional poker to meet "beards"--wealthy individuals who could place bets on his behalf because no bookmaker would accept his own--but he was struck by the passion of the Brighton & Hove Albion owner Tony Bloom when the pair discussed the club's rise to the Premier League over dinner during a tournament in Monaco. In July 2022, Voulgaris bought CD Castellon for about €4.5million, taking on about €7million more in debt. Despite a rich history in a city with a population of 184,000--three times the size of neighbouring European regulars Villarreal--the club was in the third division. "I'd never heard of Castellon," Voulgaris admits, adding that Malaga had actually been his first choice.