German duo take control at Bradford City

The pair have assumed full control of the Bantams following the departure of co-chairmen Julian Rhodes and Mark Lawn.

In a statement, the club confirmed that Rahic, who will be chairman/chief executive, will move to England with his family and base himself at Valley Parade, working alongside chief operating officer James Mason.

Rupp is expected to stay in Germany in the immediate future, but will make regular visits and be fully involved in club affairs.

Rahic said: “Both myself and Stefan have a background in business and sport, and after looking at a number of clubs in England, Bradford City had the potential and fan base that interested us most.

“We do not have plans to make big changes, but to work with the existing structure. We have seen the way the club and fans interact and the model of affordable football is very important to us.

“I met with (manager) Phil (Parkinson) this morning and we had a very encouraging discussion about the future.

“We understand there is a lot to do over the summer and we must manage expectations of the fans in the short term.

“We agreed the season ticket prices before we took over because we fully support the idea of cheaper ticketing and having witnessed games here at the stadium we know how passionate the fans are.

“We are looking forward to working with everyone associated with the club and respect its traditions.’