Manchester City’s owners, the City Football Group (CFG), have announced their purchase of Brazilian football club Bahia, marking their 13th acquisition worldwide.
The move has been made with the aim of helping Brazilian football grow financially and improve its structure.
Brazil is a country with a rich footballing history and a seemingly endless supply of talent. However, the economic potential of Brazilian football has not yet been fully realized.
CFG’s CEO, Ferran Soriano, has highlighted this as an area in need of development, and sees Bahia’s inclusion as an opportunity to help the club reach its full potential while contributing to the growth of the Brazilian game as a whole.
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Soriano drew comparisons with the structure of the Premier League, which has been a major factor in its growth into the global powerhouse it is today.
He believes that the same can be achieved for Brazilian football, with the help of CFG and other clubs.
The acquisition of Bahia comes with a 90% stake in the club, and Soriano has acknowledged that the journey to success will be a long-term project.
He urged patience from the club’s supporters, reminding them of the work that was required to take Manchester City to the top of the English game.
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Bahia joins Montevideo City Torque in Uruguay and partner club Bolivar in Bolivia as the third South American club in the CFG.
Other clubs in the group include Manchester City, New York City FC, Melbourne City, Yokohama F Marinos, Girona, Sichuan Jiuniu, Mumbai City, Lommel, Troyes and Palermo.
🚨 𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟: City Football Group have bought Brazilian side Bahia to add to the ever-growing list of clubs they own:
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) May 4, 2023
🏴 Man City
🇪🇸 Girona
🇮🇹 Palermo
🇧🇷 EC Bahia
🇧🇪 Lommel SK
🇮🇳 Mumbai City
🇫🇷 ESTAC Troyes
🇺🇸 New York City
🇨🇳 Sichuan Jiuniu
🇦🇺 Melbourne City
🇯🇵 Yokohama… pic.twitter.com/ZnwaZXeViz
The move is another example of CFG’s ambition to build a global footballing network, and the potential benefits it can bring to both the clubs involved and the wider game.
The focus on helping Brazilian football grow financially is particularly significant, given the country’s rich footballing heritage and potential for growth.
