November 2 – City Football Group (CFG) have reportedly opened negotiations to acquire a 20% stake in Russian club Spartak Moscow.
Russian media report that the owners of Manchester City have sent representatives to engage in talks with Spartak’s general director Evgeny Melezhikov over the group’s interest in the club.
It’s not the first time that CFG have been linked with Russia, with reports in May suggesting the group was interested in exploring and entering the Russian market.
Spartak believe a partnership with CFG can lead to increased sponsorship opportunities. Founded in 1922 by trade unionists, the club is Russia’s most decorated, having won 12 Soviet championships and a record 10 Russian championships.
At present, CFG’s club portfolio includes multiple clubs, stretching from Australia to Bolivia. The brainchild of Manchester City CEO Ferran Soriano, CFG has expanded aggressively since its foundation in 2013, owning minority and majority stakes in various clubs as well as forging simple partnerships around the world.
Manchester City is the group’s flagship outfit and most prized asset. The other clubs with links to CFG are New York City (USA), Melbourne City (Australia), Mumbai City (India), Yokohama F. Marinos (Japan), Montevideo City Torque (Uruguay), Girona (Spain), Sichuan Junu (China), Lommel (Belgium), Troyes (France) and Bolivar (Bolivia).
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