ROKER ROUNDUP: Sunderland co-owner Juan Sartori’s company nets $220m fortune from Cannabis deal

Drug deal for Sartori

As well as being a co-owner of Sunderland AFC, Juan Sartori is the founder and Executive Chairman of a firm called Union Group, who are the main shareholders in the International Cannabis Company (ICC). ICC are one of the two companies that has the license to produce marijuana sold in Uruguayan pharmacies.

Canada’s leading cannabis company, Aurora Cannabis, confirmed that they have bought all the shares of ICC for $220m. That purchase includes all ICC businesses from the license to grow marijuana for recreational purposes to the line of work in medical cannabis - ICC was selected in October 2016 by the Uruguayan government to produce up to two tons of marijuana a year, which is then sold in pharmacies.

In a statement, Aurora CEO Terry Booth said:

ICC is an ideal partner for Aurora to establish leadership in the South American market for cannabis, providing a clear advantage as the first player in a continent with more than 420 million people.

The sale of ICC comes just over a month since Sartori was confirmed onto Sunderland’s board of directors.

You can watch Sartori talk about his interest in ICC in the CNBC video below:

Poyet talks Sunderland

Gus Poyet recently left his role as Bordeaux manager in acrimonious circumstances after the board sold a player behind his back on the eve of a game.

The Uruguayan has been reflecting on his globetrotting adventures as a manager with the South China Morning Post, with his managerial career taking him from Sunderland and Brighton and Hove Albion, to AEK Athens, Real Betis, Bordeaux and even Shanghai Shenhua.

Poyet discussed how much his successes at Sunderland, particularly the Capital One Cup run in 2014 meant to the people of the region:

I’m very fortunate to have worked in football, fortunate to be able to make a difference to people’s lives and bring happiness. At Sunderland, fans would see me riding my bike along the beautiful seafront by the North Sea and cars would be beeping me, people would be waving and wishing me well for the next game.

At Sunderland, I lived in an apartment block and word soon spread. I’d get letters from neighbours saying they were proud that they lived in the same block as the manager of their team.

We beat Man United away in the League Cup semi-final on penalties. It was 3am when I got home. The neighbours had put a giant Sunderland scarf around the plant in the hallway and there were Sunderland shirts in the windows of my apartment building like you’d see the flags of countries in other parts of the world.

It wasn’t all nice however, as he also discussed how the people of Newcastle reacted to his presence when he appeared in their city:

I had no problems – despite my Sunderland team beating them three times in three games.

But once, I’d just left a restaurant when I saw a man change direction and walk across me. ‘Wrong city, twat,’ he said. He didn’t even think I was worth looking at as he walked off.

I didn’t say a word, but I knew where he was coming from. I quite liked his style. He was so passionate about Newcastle that he didn’t think that the Sunderland manager should be able to walk the streets of his city.

You can read the rest of his interview where he discusses his managerial career HERE.

Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images

Non-league starlet linked

Sunderland have been credited with an interest in Hastings United midfielder Adam Lovatt.

According to TeamTalk, Premier League trio Crystal Palace, Brighton and Watford lead the chase for the 18-year-old’s signature but Sunderland, Blackburn Rovers and Luton are also said to be interested.

The box-to-box midfielder has been an integral part in Hastings’ fantastic start to the season, as the club has won it’s opening six games of the season.