Soriano Reveals India Interest

Manchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano has revealed the club’s owners are considering buying a club in India.

A major investment could even be made this year as the City Football Group continues to expand its global portfolio of clubs, Soriano has revealed.

The news comes just a fortnight after CFG acquired a share of Chinese outfit Sichuan Jiuniu, taking the number of clubs under its umbrella to seven.

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The group also owns or has stakes in New York City, Melbourne City, Yokohama F Marinos, Atletico Torque and Girona, as well as flagship club Manchester City.

“We have some interest in some markets and countries where there is a genuine football passion and opportunities, like China, but also India,” Soriano said.

“So there might be other opportunities in Asia. “With all these developments we have to be patient. We’ve been looking at India for nearly two years now. I’d say this year we’ll end up doing an investment in India.” CFG was created in 2013 as City’s first sister club was established in New York.

The expansion since has been rapid and further investments are likely to follow. Soriano added: “As we see it now, there is a natural pace of growth that we will follow that takes us to more than seven teams, but not 100 teams.

“I cannot see 10 years ahead but the group might have two or three teams more. Is this going to change in five years and we’re going to have more? Maybe, (but) I don’t know that. But to complete the vision that we had six years ago, I think we will have maybe two or three clubs more.”