Minnesota Stars soccer gets new owners

Minnesota Stars FC v Real Salt Lake
Justin Davis, left, and Brian Kallman of the Minnesota Stars puts goal-scorer Kevin Venegas in a celebratory headlock after his early goal in the 4th minute of a soccer game May 26, 2012 at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah. The Stars
George Frey/Real Salt Lake

Minnesota's professional soccer team has new ownership, after two years of being owned and operated by its parent, the North American Soccer League.

The Minnesota Stars announced the sale just days after the team lost its bid for a repeat championship in the minor soccer league. The league said its board of governors approved sale of the team to a local ownership group, but didn't identify the investors.

The team plays at the National Sports Center in Blaine.

"I don't think there's any league that wants to be in the business of owning teams," said Djorn Buchholz, the team's CEO. "They set us up correctly and allowed us to go out and showcase and promote ourselves, and attract someone that's going to be a big giant asset for this team moving forward."

The website Inside Minnesota Soccer reports former UnitedHealth CEO William McGuire has appeared at several team functions recently, and is one of the new owners of the team.

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