CFG expanded at the start of 2014 when it partnered with Rugby league side Melbourne Storm to acquire a controlling stake in A-League franchise Melbourne Heart for 12 million Australian dollars. In the process of managing the creation of a second football team City Football Group was created, designed to be the holding company to which both Manchester City and NYCFC belonged. Their discussions resulted in the announcement of New York City FC as MLS' 20th expansion side less than one year later in May 2013. Soriano revived his ambitions of creating a global football business entity, beginning by resuming dialogues with Garber. Īfter a four-year break from football management, Soriano was hired in late 2012 to replace Garry Cook as CEO of Manchester City following the latter's resignation. Soriano contacted Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber about creating a Barcelona-branded MLS franchise and the pair progressed as far as looking into several locations to place the team, but ultimately these plans were curtailed when Soriano and seven other members of Barcelona's board chose to resign in protest of then-President Joan Laporta's leadership. Soriano first conceived of the ideal of a global football entity while at the Catalan club, beginning with the creation of Barca-branded overseas academies. Location of City Football Group clubs in Europeįounded in 2013, City Football Group is the realisation of a business vision by former Barcelona Economy Vice President Ferran Soriano. 3.5.1 Name change and return to the Primera División.
CFG also owns stakes in clubs in the United States, Australia, India, Japan, Spain, Uruguay, China, Belgium and France. The group derives its name from Manchester City F.C., its flagship football club and acts as the club's parent company. The group is owned by three organisations of which 78% is majority owned by the Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG), 10% by the American firm Silver Lake and 12% by Chinese firms China Media Capital and CITIC Capital.
City Football Group Limited ( CFG) is a holding company that administers association football clubs.