City Football Group - Financials & Acquisitions

This story isn't directly about us, but there's an interesting little nugget buried in it:

Gigliani, who’s from Argentina but was raised across the United States and Europe, has spent the last 10 years with City Football Group. He oversaw eight of their international clubs, including all those in the European Union and Latin America. He sat on the board of directors of most of these clubs and worked directly with each club's CEO and sporting director.

Very interesting indeed . . .

www.mlssoccer.com

St. Louis CITY name Diego Gigliani as president and general manager | MLSSoccer.com

St. Louis CITY SC have added Diego Gigliani to their executive leadership team as the club’s new president and general manager, the expansion club announced Wednesday. Gigliani, who arrives from City Football Group, is slated to join the club in the summer of 2023 once he acquires a work visa.
www.mlssoccer.com www.mlssoccer.com
 
Trouble in Montevideo.

www.espn.com.uy

Montevideo City Torque, el proyecto de City Group que no logra afianzarse en la Primera división del fútbol uruguayo

Los Ciudadanos volvieron a perder la categoría en 2023 y jugarán en Segunda.
www.espn.com.uy www.espn.com.uy

CFG bought the team in 2017, and that season they promoted to Primera, but relegated after just one year (2018). They promoted again in 2019, and finished fourth in 2021, but two years later they are relegated again. Fan quote: "we need to change many things and return to being a football club and not a player trading company."
 
To be fair to CFG, their record with clubs not named Man City is quite good (see e.g. Girona). This one, however, is not going well at all.
 
Gotham Gator said:
To be fair to CFG, their record with clubs not named Man City is quite good (see e.g. Girona). This one, however, is not going well at all.
Click to expand...

many a few of their clubs have won championships in their respective leagues. Troyes seems like an anomaly and something must be going on there.
 
Last edited:
moogoo said:
many a few of their clubs have won championships in their respective leagues. Troyes seems like an anomaly and something must be going on there.
Click to expand...
Back in February I briefly discussed Troyes in the context of whether NYCFC might or should fire Nick midseason absent a fast start. Troyes changed coaches midseason 3 seasons in a row: 2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24. They were relegated after both 2022-23 and 2023-24.
It is not clear to me if Savio was signed to Troyes as a complete fiction, or if he would have eventually played there if they didn't keep getting relegated. Maybe a bit of both. But he was signed and immediately loaned during summer of 2022 after a season when Troyes was not relegated so it does not look good.
 
gbservis said:
If the primary** goal of the organization is to make MCFC successful while keeping them out of FFP trouble compromises will be made at the sister clubs if they support that goal.
Click to expand...
Really good point and a gigantic "if."

Looking at it from an objective, business-oriented standpoint, I don't read the CFG structure as designed to support Manchester City as a primary goal. As I understand the history, Soriano wanted to build a soccer conglomerate while he was at Barcelona and left in large part because he couldn't persuade the organization to go in that direction.

(Side note: I wonder if Joan Laporta now regrets not buying into the vision.)

So, he had it in mind before coming to CFG. Opportunity met vision.

That's not to say there's no possibility of a financial shell game being played. There's clearly a serious investigation going on, and it's taking a hell of a lot longer than similar investigations have taken in the Prem. The authorities might be untangling a very sophisticated web.

But my comment was more about us taking a programmatic approach to building our squad than anything having to do with the business end. My point was more about the shift in strategy to finding young, quick, skilled players and developing them over a period of time rather than buying available talent off the shelf.
 
An entertaining listen on the subject of Middle East purchases of football clubs - World Corrupt podcast.

Season 1 was about the Qatar World Cup. Season 2 covers Saudi Arabia in the beautiful game.
 
I think this is the right place for this:

www.newyorkcityfc.com

Marcelo Claure Joins New York City FC Ownership Group | New York City FC

- New strategic investment strengthens the relationship between City Football Group and Marcelo Claure, who joins New York City FC as Co-Vice Chairman New York City FC today announced the addition of Marcelo Claure to New York City FC’s ownership group with an investment equivalent to...
www.newyorkcityfc.com www.newyorkcityfc.com

I don't know much about the guy...
 
DeGrozz said:
I think this is the right place for this:

www.newyorkcityfc.com

Marcelo Claure Joins New York City FC Ownership Group | New York City FC

- New strategic investment strengthens the relationship between City Football Group and Marcelo Claure, who joins New York City FC as Co-Vice Chairman New York City FC today announced the addition of Marcelo Claure to New York City FC’s ownership group with an investment equivalent to...
www.newyorkcityfc.com www.newyorkcityfc.com

I don't know much about the guy...
Click to expand...

So correct me if I'm wrong, but the news here is the Yankees sold half their ownership stake, I believe.
 
DeGrozz said:
I think this is the right place for this:

www.newyorkcityfc.com

Marcelo Claure Joins New York City FC Ownership Group | New York City FC

- New strategic investment strengthens the relationship between City Football Group and Marcelo Claure, who joins New York City FC as Co-Vice Chairman New York City FC today announced the addition of Marcelo Claure to New York City FC’s ownership group with an investment equivalent to...
www.newyorkcityfc.com www.newyorkcityfc.com

I don't know much about the guy...
Click to expand...
All hail our new 10 percent overlord.

Used to own part of Inter pre-Messi, but got bought out by Beckham and Jorge Más. Owns part of Girona and Club Bolivar in Bolivia.

Former CEO of Sprint and seems to be well regarded as a businessman.
 
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