City Football Group (CGF) owners of English Premier League giants Manchester City, is planning to invest in an Indian football team by the end of this year according to Chief Executive Ferran Soriano. CFG was created in 2013 when New York City FC was purchased, becoming the second team under their ownership after Manchester City.
Speaking to Sky Sports Soriano said “With all these developments, we have to be patient. We have been looking at India for nearly two years now. I would say this year we’ll end up doing investment in India,”.
The CEO also said that City has been exploring the Indian market for the past two years. “We have some interest in some markets and countries where there is a genuine football passion and opportunities, like China, but also India. So there might be other opportunities in Asia,” he added.
Ferran Soriano (Right) believes that there will be more to come from the blue half of Manchester. (Photo: AFP)
City owner Sheikh Mansour of Abu Dhabi Royal Family, has recently purchased a Chinese third division club Sichuan Jiuniu, the seventh addition to their list of clubs, which also include New York City, Melbourne City, Japan’s Yokohama F Marinos, Atletico Torque and Girona.
Having made investments in five clubs over the past six years, Soriano believes that there will be more to come from the blue half of Manchester.
“As we see it now, there is a natural pace of growth that we will follow that takes us to more than seven teams, but not 100 teams.I cannot see 10 years ahead but the group might have two or three teams more. Is this going to change in five years and we’re going to have more? Maybe, [but] I don’t know that” he said.
“But to complete the vision that we had six years ago, I think we will have maybe two or three clubs more.”
