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Manchester City invest in Japanese side Yokohama F-Marinos

By on 05/20/2014
IMAGE, MCFC.CO.UK

Nearly a year to the day of New York City F.C.’s creation, Manchester City have now announced an ownership stake in their third satellite club.

City have taken a 20% stake in J-League side Yokohama F-Marino, with current owners Nissan retaining their 80% investment.

The club has not won their league since 2004.

Manchester looks to change that.

“We’re thrilled to be able to play a role in investing and building on the on-going success of YF Marinos,” said Ferran Soriano, City Football Group CEO said in a statement. “We are proud to offer a collaborative and integrated approach to the football, marketing, media and commercial development of all the clubs in the City family.

“At the same time, we are proud that each of our clubs is firmly rooted and invested in its local community as well as connected and engaged with its supporter base. We are very much looking forward to starting our collaboration.”

“The YF Marinos is an excellent soccer club with a rich history which has grown hand in hand with Nissan. Together we see opportunities that CFG’s global soccer infrastructure will bring to the club and the excitement it will bring to the fans,” said Carlos Ghosn, Nissan President and CEO. “This partnership will contribute to the growth of the club, the growth of our shared hometown, Yokohama, as well as Yokosuka and Japanese soccer.”

City will offer Marinos “unrivalled access to CFG’s training methods, medical care, sport science, team management and coaching know-how” while leaving the day-to-day operations in the hands of the current ownership group.

“This collaboration presents a fantastic opportunity to boost the support and growth of our club, not only in the community through youth sport investment and increased attendance, but also internationally by attracting more sponsors and supporting the national team efforts.

“Over the last four years we have undergone significant reform within the club with the clear goal of becoming a leading club in Japan and we have achieved our target successfully,” Akira Kaetsu, YF Marinos President said. “Now, alongside CFG we look forward to building on that foundation to take YF Marinos into the wider Asian and World arenas.”

YF Marinos becomes the third club in less than 12 months to become part of City Football Group.

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  • JP

    Another farm team.

  • Anthony

    At this point it is abundantly clear that Man City is just buying foreign teams to try an d escape FFP rules in UEFA and extend its brand image. How anyone can actually say with a straight face that any of these teams are more than offshore tax and loss distribution ploys is ridiculous.

    • if City wanted to get around FFP all the owners would have to do is challenge it in court and it would fall to pieces it openly breaks at least 3 different European Laws as far as the other teams that have been purchased it comes down to getting the best young talent from those areas and to bring them to City and hopefully get them into the first team which will help with FFP anyway and even if you are correct about these teams being no more than offshore tax and loss distribution ploys there is nothing in the rules to say it can’t be done

      • Both Anthony and Patrick, do any of you have proof to back up your claims? Anthony claims this is nothing but a way to “escape FFP rules in UEFA & to extend their brand”, however he provides no evidence to support his claims. An opinion is not a fact. If City really wanted to expand their brand in the USA, it is a lot cheaper ways to do it, then spending a 100 million. Not to mention an extra 300 million for their potential stadium. And in no way is City using NYCFC, to beat FFP. If that was the case,Manchester City could use EU competition law to beat Financial Fair Play rules. Almunia, a Spanish Socialist head of European Commission, supports FFP. However when he leaves his post, that could very well change. Also there is no evidence, City plans to take the best young talent from these areas. Instead these young players,would be use to build the core of NYCFC. You don’t invest the money NYCFC Owners are, to just use the club as a farm team. Not even if you are as rich as Mansour.

        • Anthony

          Am i in a court of law here, i wasn’t aware i had to present all my evidence in admissible form. These satellite clubs provide MCFC a means to “write” off legitimate costs and losses attributable to MCFC at higher than actual market rates for the costs and services. They can inflate the actual costs for the satellite to cover losses from MCFC. Its not really a tough concept to grasp and a basic search on the internet about the FFP rules and MCFC specifically can provide you with plenty of examples.

          Fact is MCFC will NEVER be able to comply with FFP, their global brand isnt strong enough to get the influx of commercial sponsors and revnue that United or Barca can get. The money they do get from the shiek has already been rejected as influxes of cash that violate FFP. It would take them years to build the commerical power brand other enjot now. And cost them hundreds of millions to get there.

          So what do they do? They create satellite clubs in various emerging soccer markets where barrier to entry is low that have brand ties in to MCFC, so they can promote MCFC into these markets (ever notice they are strategically in countries with higher GDP). But more importantly, these clubs can get benefits from MCFC and MCFC can write these loses off as loses of the satalite club not MCFC itself.

          You must be a blind ass Man city USA fan to think for a second this is some genuine attempt to grow soccer or be anything other than a strategic plan to serve the parent bread winning MCFC.

          God you lot are naive.

        • Oculus mate I’m agreeing with you Man City owners are some of the best money men around and if there are any loopholes there they will use them but still be within the rules as put forth by Uefa the FFP rules do contravene European Law in terms of Restriction of Trade and Restriction on the Movement of Workers the lawyer who is responsible for the Bosman Ruling is looking at it now

  • Anonymous

    Pretty funny if u ask me, wait till the Sheik gets a new hobby, all these teams will be left to rot !

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