Atletico Madrid chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin says that Chinese group Wanda holding a 20 percent stake in the club opens up lucrative "synergies" all around the world.
In early 2016, Wanda's billionaire owner Wang Jianlin bought into Atletico -- with a club statement at the time saying that a €45 million investment had bought a 20 percent equity share in the club.
Speaking at the World Football Summit in Madrid, in quotes reported by AS, the Colchoneros chief said that Wanda had invested €60m in total in what was a strategic business partnership which opened new doors for the club.
"Wanda invested €60m because they believed in the project, in Atletico and in Spanish football," Gil Marin said. "Previously this would have been seen as a big risk, but now there are chances to have success and make a profit.
"I never thought of Wanda's entry as just a financial investment, it means have a strategic business partner. People think they are just in China, but they have operations in the US, Europe, Australia ... We look for synergies to open new doors. We are happy with the relationship day to day."
Spanish courts have repeatedly ruled that Gil Marin's father Jesus Gil and current Atletico president Enrique Cerezo illegally took control of Atletico, although they remain in charge as the legal process has moved so slowly.
Gil Marin said that even though investors might have shares or a controlling interest in a club, the real owners remained the fans and their "values" must be respected when decisions are taken.
"It is important for a club's financial stability that [investors] come to support the team, not to look for the spotlight or to take a personal advantage," he said. "Whoever comes must know that he might own the shares, but not the club. To think otherwise is to be mistaken. The club belongs to nobody but the fans.
"One day I won't be here, someone else will come in, but he will not be the real owner of the feelings of Atletico. An owner must be aware of the values of the fans. I know well my club's, whenever we take a decision we analyse whether it will be rejected and guarantee to respect those values."
Atletico are currently planning to move from their Estadio Vicente Calderon home to a new stadium at La Peineta, a decision made against the wishes of many long-time fans who were not consulted.
Gil Marin did not comment directly on the new stadium, but said that the club was on course to grow its revenues from €187m last year to reach €400m by 2020, mainly due to increased revenue from a new Champions League format.
"We had expected our revenues for 2019-20 to be around €300m, but we have changed that due to our growth in fanbase, and TV revenues," he said. "Now the expectation is to reach €400m. We are prepared for that. The principal requirement for that is to be in the Champions League, which from 2018-19 will have a different format which will allow us to double the current revenues we get."
Atletico was also set to have more 100,000 socios [members] by next year, Gil Marin said.
"We have 92,000 socios, almost 93,000," he said. "We will reach 100,000 in 2017. The idea is to have [a 50/50 split] between socios and season ticket holders. A club is only as big as its fanbase."