San Francisco 49ers franchise suffers a significant blow that has nothing to do with the NFL

There might not have been many people in the Bay Area overly concerned with the result of a soccer match at London's Wembley Stadium on Sunday.

But the Championship play-off final between Leeds United and Southampton will have been closely watched by those running the San Francisco 49ers, and they won't have been pleased with the result.

49ers Enterprises is the majority owner of Leeds, which would have earned promotion back to the Premier League following relegation last season with a victory. The play-off final is said to be worth $265 million (approx $337.5 million) to the victor.

Sadly for the 49ers franchise, Leeds suffered a 1-0 defeat, meaning they will spend another season in the second tier of English soccer.

While that outcome will obviously have no impact on what the 49ers do on the field in 2024, it is a huge setback for their ambitions for Leeds and their efforts to further grow the commercial side of the business.

For Paraag Marathe, the 49ers' executive vice-president of football operations who already has a lot on his plate, it means adding an arduous task to his list.

He will be playing a key role in negotiating a long-term extension for All-Pro wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and in helping the Niners plan for a future in which Brock Purdy may become the highest-paid player in the NFL next offseason.

But Marathe is also the chairman of Leeds, and must now plot a path towards getting the club promoted next season, a challenge that is unlikely to be any easier in 2024-25.

And, for franchise ownership that had to deal with the agony of the 49ers' Super Bowl 58 defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs in February, it's another dose of heartbreak on the biggest stage to which they have become far too accustomed.