Man City Acquires Melbourne Heart
Manchester City has partnered with the National Rugby League’s Melbourne Storm to acquire Hyundai A-League club Melbourne Heart FC, in a similar deal employed by City’s owners when they announced the creation of a new Major League Soccer team, New York City FC, last year in partnership with Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees.
City has acquired 80% of the Heart, which was formed in 2009, with the Storm now holding the remaining 20%.
Bart Campbell, who last year led the group which acquired the Storm, said of the deal: ‘Partnering with City to co-invest in Melbourne Heart will further strengthen the sporting landscape in one of the world’s greatest cities and bring a range of new capabilities to AAMI Park.’
‘We are excited to be a part of this unique project. It is our shared ambition to replicate the model that City created with the New York Yankees around New York City FC and for both organisations to benefit as a result.’
City’s chief executive, Ferran Soriano, added: ‘We are excited about the opportunity to make Melbourne Heart one of the most successful football clubs in Australia and throughout the region.’
‘We believe the strong sports culture of Melbourne combined with the football and commercial expertise within our consortium will make for a powerful combination both on and off the pitch.’
Soriano added that the new ownership group would take its time before making any significant changes to the club, who currently sit bottom of the league with just eight points from 15 games.
