Debrecen4U January 27, 2026

DVSC Unveils New Leadership as Strategic Partnership Aims to Bring the Club Back to the Top

In January, it became official that, following the share purchase agreements concluded in recent months and the increase of the registered capital, Stott Capital Hungary Kft. acquired a controlling majority ownership stake in DVSC Futball Zrt. As part of the transformation, the Board of Directors was expanded to seven members, who were appointed for a two-year term. The current members of the Board of Directors of DVSC Futball Zrt. are: Mark Stott (chairman), Simon Wilson, Jonathan Vaughan, Gavin Bailey, Zoltán Bács, Miklós Szabó, and Balázs Ticz.

On Sunday, January 25, the members of the club’s board of directors, Mark Stott and Simon Wilson, were introduced at a press conference.

“This is a milestone in the life of DVSC, as the recent period has been quite difficult, but fortunately the city leadership and the supporters once again stood behind the club, and it was possible to find a solution for DVSC’s future that is very promising,” said Balázs Makray, CEO of DVSC. He continued by saying that this serious process, which has helped the club greatly, could not have come about without the city leadership, for which he also expressed his thanks to Mayor László Papp.

“Today and the past few years represent an absolute milestone; the last few years have been quite eventful. A sense of balance was somewhat missing from DVSC’s life. Football in Debrecen is a citywide matter: when there are no problems, I receive few questions; when there are, I receive many. The city has always provided the proper background for this club, has always been present as an owner in DVSC’s life, and has ensured the necessary support. As mayor and as a supporter, I stand behind the team; sometimes it is difficult to distinguish between the two roles, but the main goal is for DVSC to once again be one of Hungary’s very successful clubs,” emphasized Mayor László Papp. “I believe that this cooperation now taking shape will once again elevate DVSC among the best clubs in the future,” he added.

Mark Stott purchased the Stockport County football club in 2020 and invested more than £40 million to help the club return to a higher level. “We place great emphasis on education and community building, which is also what we did in Stockport. Everything is in place here for development, as the Hungarian state has also provided significant support to Hungarian football over the past ten years. When it comes to football, I will hand over the floor to Simon Wilson, who is directly involved in this area. I am an entrepreneur, and here too we are building communities, just as this is our aim in football. It is important to emphasize that Stockport County and DVSC will operate independently of each other,” pointed out Mark Stott. He highlighted that he is very much looking forward to the start of this shared journey and feels fortunate to be here. “In the coming years, we want to show how the set goals can be achieved and how this can be done differently,” he underlined.

Simon Wilson, a professional who has worked in football all his life, said at the press conference that he therefore has extensive experience. He has held leadership positions at Southampton, Sunderland, and Manchester City. “We would like to prove what we can achieve, and I think something special can come of this. I have not only worked in the Premier League, but at every level of the league system, so I know what direction we want to move toward here as well, and what we want to avoid. There is no club that can operate without stable foundations. Debrecen is a well-functioning club with a strong mentality and people who have passion for the club. We have a boring business plan; I am not going to say that we will win the Champions League on the first day, although I could say that. The goal is to operate in a stable manner,” revealed Simon Wilson.

Finally, in response to a question, he said that there is no single guideline according to which every club can move forward, and that there are clubs where no big names have signed yet they have still been able to progress. In his view, it is necessary to find what is right, while relying on local talents and at the same time keeping experienced players in the team who help the young ones. At the end of the press conference, it was stated that the city leadership remains committed to providing financial support to DVSC. Ádám Bogdán, DVSC’s sporting director, was unable to attend the press conference due to illness, but according to Balázs Makray, his introduction will take place at a later date.

Source and photo credit: debrecen.hu