New York City FC
New York City Football Club is an upcoming American professional soccer team based in New York City that will compete in Major League Soccer (MLS). It was announced as the league's twentieth franchise on May 21, 2013.[3] The team's expansion rights[clarification needed] were purchased by the Premier League club Manchester City and the New York Yankees baseball team for $100 million.[4]
The club intends to begin playing in the 2015 MLS season,[5] alongside Orlando City SC. Due to play at Yankee Stadium in the New York City borough of The Bronx, the club will be the first MLS franchise located in the city, and the second franchise in the New York metropolitan area after the New York Red Bulls, based in Harrison, New Jersey.
History
MLS commissioner Don Garber announced the league's intent to award a second team in the New York area in 2010, with the new team originally aimed to begin operations by 2013.[7] Initially, the league held talks with New York Mets owner Fred Wilpon about a second NY club and with owners of the rebooted New York Cosmos.[8] The Wilpons' interest in MLS reportedly faded following the family's losses in the Madoff investment scandal,[9] while the Cosmos began playing in the second-tier North American Soccer League in 2013.[10]
Garber had previously cultivated an interest in acquiring investment from a major European soccer team to be owners of a future franchise, and in December 2008, he announced a bid for a Miami expansion team led by FC Barcelona that was to begin play in 2010,[11] though the bid eventually fell through[12] (Garber also briefly discussed Barcelona investing in a New York franchise before moving the focus to Miami[13]).
But when Ferran Soriano, Barcelona's vice president at the time of the Miami bid, was appointed Manchester City CEO in August 2012, Garber reached out to him about a New York City team.[13] In December 2012, unnamed sources told the media that Manchester City were close to being announced as the new owners of the 20th team of MLS, and the brand name "New York City Football Club" was trademarked, although the club quickly denied the report.[14] However, Garber announced in March 2013 that he was almost ready to unveil the new expansion team,[15]
New York City Football Club, LLC was registered with the New York State Department on May 7, 2013,[16] and on May 21 the team was officially announced as the 20th Major League Soccer franchise.[17]
On May 22, 2013, the club named former United States and Manchester City midfielder Claudio Reyna as its director of football operations, responsible for coaching staff and player recruitment ahead of the team's inaugural MLS season in 2015.[18] Reyna, a New Jersey native, also played for the nearby New York Red Bulls. He said he had begun identifying candidates to be the club's head coach, but would not name one in 2013.[19]The team announced an English-language radio deal with WFAN on October 3, 2013.[20]
The club made their first recruitment dealing in off-field matters on September 6, 2013, when they hired former Rutgers University Athletic Director Tim Pernetti to serve as Chief Business Officer, part of a five-year deal with the university.[21] Further hirings were made in mid-November, when three experienced administrators were appointed to Vice President roles.[22]
On December 11, 2013, Jason Kreis was announced as the first head coach of the new franchise, having reached the end of his contract at Real Salt Lake and declined an extension.[23] The move came just four days after he missed out on lifting his second MLS Cup with the Utah team, losing on penalties to Sporting Kansas City. It was revealed in the announcement that his contract, starting on January 1, 2014, would see him begin by travelling to Manchester in England to familiarise himself with the set-up of franchise-owners Manchester City.[23]
Kreis' official unveiling was made at a press conference on January 10, 2014, where Kreis himself made it public that his former assistant Miles Joseph had joined him at the club, becoming New York City FC's first ever assistant coach.[24]
On June 2, 2014 the club announced that Spanish World Cup-winning striker David Villa had signed as the first player.[25][26] While the team awaited its MLS start in 2015, Villa was loaned to another team owned by Manchester City, Melbourne City FC of the Australian A-League but was called back after only four matches.[27] On July 24, 2014, New York City FC announced at a live press conference in Brooklyn that ex-England international and Chelsea all-time top goal scorer Frank Lampard would be joining them as their second Designated Player. Sporting director Claudio Reyna hailed Lampard as "one of the greatest players in world history." Lampard said that "It is a privilege to be able to help make history here in New York City."[28][29]
Stadium
Before the official team was announced, plans were presented by MLS to build a soccer stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park[47] inQueens. However, due to opposition to building a stadium on park land as well as objections from the New York Mets, who play nearby, the site lost favor once the new team was announced. The team came up with an alternate proposal to build the stadium in the Bronxadjacent to Yankee Stadium to be completed in 2018 at the earliest.[48] On April 21, 2014, the club confirmed that they would play their first season home games at Yankee Stadium, and that plans for a future stadium were in progress.[49
 | |
| Full name | New York City Football Club |
|---|---|
| Founded | May 21, 2013 |
| Stadium | Yankee Stadium (interim) |
| Capacity | 27,470[1] |
| Owner | City Football Group (80%) Yankee Global Enterprises(20%)[2] |
| CEO | Ferran Soriano |
| Head Coach | Jason Kreis |
| League | Major League Soccer |
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