Kevork Djansezian, AFP | Former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt speaks during a Dodger Stadium security news conference at Los Angeles Police Department headquarters on April 8, 2011 in Los Angeles, California.

Frank McCourt, the former owner of U.S. baseball team L.A. Dodgers, said on Monday he had agreed to buy French Ligue 1 soccer club Olympique de Marseille (OM), vowing to restore the team to its former glory.

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OM's biggest shareholder, billionaire businesswoman Margarita Louis-Dreyfus, announced in April that she was selling her stake in the club, which finished 13th in the league and lost to PSG in the French cup final.

"I'm very excited about making Marseille a champion again," McCourt said at a news conference alongside Louis-Dreyfus and Marseille mayor Jean-Claude Gaudin.

The deal is due to be completed by year-end. RMC Sport reported that the club had been sold for 40 million euros ($44.68 million).

(REUTERS)

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