November 21 – Australia’s A-League has confirmed that a new Auckland-based franchise will feature in the league next season, heralding the return of professional club football to New Zealand.
The club will be owned by American Bill Foley (pictured) who expanded his sports team ownerships with the acquisition of Premier League Bournemouth at the end of 2022 and took a minority stake in Ligue1’s Lorient earlier this year.
In 2016 Foley founded the NHL franchise Vegas Golden Knights, winning the Stanley Cup for the first time this season.
The team’s colours, a crest, a kit, training facility and stadium, have still to be confirmed but it has been confirmed it will start play in the 2024-25 season of the A-League.
Nick Becker, previously at Manchester City and Melbourne City, will serve as chief executive in Auckland. Mike Higgins will take up the role of chief commercial officer. The search for a sporting director as well as a manager is ongoing.
“Building a championship team from expansion has been my most exhilarating professional achievement, and I aim to do the same for the fans of New Zealand and particularly the community on the North Island,” said Foley.
“It’s an honour to bring a top football club to Auckland … it’s a special place and an area that I know will embrace this team.”
Auckland has not been home to a professional football club since 2007 when the New Zealand Knights folded. A semi-professional club, Auckland City feature in the New Zealand Football Championship. As winners of the OFC Champions League, they will participate in the 2023 Club World Cup in Jeddah in December – their eight time. At present, Wellington Phoenix are the only other club from New Zealand to play in the A-League.
How much Foley had to invest to get his franchise in Auckland was not disclosed but in the months leading up to the deal figures as high as NZD20 million were cited.
A-Leagues chair Stephen Conroy highlighted Foley’s track record as why he was the preferred owner after talks with other candidate investors.
“In Bill Foley we have a proven global sports investor and operator with a track record of building deep roots in the community, a passion for football, and a long-standing business and personal relationship with New Zealand,” said Conroy.
The announcement had been expected immediately after the close of the Women’s World Cup, which New Zealand co-hosted, and the fact that the new franchise will enter a women’s team only in 2025 has raised some eyebrows.
“I’ve been through this once with the Golden Knights and we had about a year and a half to really put the team together … and it took us a year and a half,” said Foley. “What I didn’t want to do was launch two teams and not do a good job. We’ll have a women’s team and they’ll play in 2025 and we will support it, just as we’re supporting Bournemouth.
“Many of you probably don’t know this, but the women’s team was actually run by a foundation, and we brought the women’s team in-house at AFC Bournemouth. We’ve improved their facilities, we started recruiting and retaining really good players. We’re undefeated.”
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