Alexandre Rodrigues da Silva, known as Pato, once came within 24 hours of losing an arm to an aggressive tumour at age 11. He went on to a 17-year career that included a €24 million move to AC Milan, spells at Corinthians, Villarreal, Chelsea on loan, Tianjin Tianhai, Orlando City and São Paulo, and 10 goals in 27 appearances for Brazil. At 37, he now sits on the board of Northampton Town, a League Two side near the bottom of the English football pyramid.
Pato is the global face of the club's new owners, Sports Alpha Capital, a consortium of investors in Brazil and elsewhere. The group came close to buying Colchester United at the start of 2026 before turning its attention to Northampton's Sixfields Stadium. On Saturday, he watched the Cobblers beat Colchester 2-0 to climb out of the relegation zone, as fans in yellow and green chanted his name.
He says the link to the club goes back to his youth. "I played as Northampton on video games when I was younger, and right now I am here!" he told ESPN, adding that he picked the team on PlayStation because he liked the badge. The takeover was completed at the end of September, and the club is now free of debt, which is rare in the English Football League.
Co-chairman Joao Xavier, a 31-year-old Brazilian corporate lawyer turned venture capital and private equity investor, formed the group with fellow co-chairman Tim Chamberlain and Pedro Piquet. He said the television series "Welcome to Wrexham" was what first led him to consider buying a club. "It's certainly an inspiration. But we cannot copy them," Xavier said. Pato echoed that, saying Northampton would follow its own model.
That model is still taking shape. Ideas include a presence in Brazil, television deals, a Netflix-style documentary and flying fans in from South America for matches. Xavier also said the club is looking at signing Brazilian players, though he stressed it is not a promise and that strict rules apply. Northampton's incoming transfer record of £160,000 for winger Josh Low has stood since 2003.
The club has a notable past. In the 1960s, Dave Bowen led Northampton from the old Fourth Division to the top flight in five seasons, and by 1970 they had dropped back to the bottom tier, a round trip through all four divisions in under a decade that remains unmatched. The club is perhaps best remembered for a 1970 FA Cup defeat in which George Best scored six goals for Manchester United in an 8-2 win.
The present challenge is steep. Under new manager Chris Hogg, Northampton sit 19th in the 24-team league with three wins, four draws and four defeats from 11 games. The most recent accounts to June 2025 showed a record loss of nearly £3 million, before the club's relegation from League One. The recent State of the Game report found that 94% of clubs in the top five divisions made a loss last season. Xavier said the owners were ready for that and see "low hanging fruit" for raising revenue beyond the 23 home league games.
ESPN's Brazil expert Tim Vickery said many Brazilians are fascinated by the depth of English football and its "futebol raiz" tradition. He suggested Northampton's shoemaking heritage and its role as a proud town club give it the raw material for a compelling story. Both owners said they were surprised by the strength of League Two, but Pato remains upbeat after speaking with former teammates and with Roberto Di Matteo, who coached at nearby MK Dons. "This is just the start," he said.
Fans may also see him as a good omen. Northampton have won three matches in 2026, and Pato has been at two of them.
