Manchester City expands presence in China with purchase of local club
City Football Group (CFG), the owners of Manchester City, has announced it has bought a Chinese football club through a joint venture.
CFG purchased Chengdu-based Sichuan Jiuniu FC together with China Sports Capital and Ubtech.
CFG purchased Chengdu-based Sichuan Jiuniu FC together with China Sports Capital and Ubtech.
“City Football Group, Ubtech and China Sports Capital have today [Wednesday] announced the joint purchase of Chinese Club Sichuan Jiuniu FC, in the China League Two, in Chengdu, attended by government officials, the club’s fans and senior executives of the new ownership group,” said a statement by CFG.
Sichuan Jiuniu will be the seventh club in CFG’s portfolio of clubs that includes City, New York City, Melbourne City and Yokohama F Marinos.
Scott Munn has been tapped to take on the newly-created role as chief executive of CFG China, overseeing all of the group's operations in the region.
CFG has increased its involvement in China in recent years, having previously opened offices in Shanghai and Shenzhen. It also became the first Premier League club to launch a Fifa Online team in China in 2018.
The Drum also previously looked at why City's move into eSports in China is more than just football politics.