The owners of Manchester City, the City Football Group, have confirmed that they have taken control of French Ligue 2 side Espérance Sportive Troyes Aube Champagne (ESTAC),
As a result, the group now own ten different clubs, with the French side being the fourth in Europe alongside Manchester City.
The City Group Takeover Troyes AC
Tenth Club Under City Ownership
For the City Group, Troyes AC will become their tenth club. Alongside Manchester City, the City Group also fully own Belgian First Division B side Lommel S.K and 47% of Spanish Segunda Division outfit Girona FC.
The group also fully own Melbourne City FC, Montevideo City Torque, and Sichuan Jiuniu F.C, alongside majority holdings New York City FC
Mumbai City FC, in addition to 20% at Yokohama F. Marinos.
The Abu Dhabi United Group was founded in the summer of 2008 and made Manchester City it’s first venture in football ownership. From there, New York City and Melbourne City followed shortly after.
Since 2017, the group has continued to expand with the addition of yet more clubs. Now, Troyes has become it’s first in France.
Statement
Chief Executive Ferran Soriano made the following statement following their latest acquisition. He said: “We have had an interest in French football for some time and have long admired ESTAC, so we are delighted to have completed the acquisition of our tenth club and have a permanent presence in France.
“This is a milestone for City Football Group and demonstrates how our model continues to adapt and grow in a relatively short space of time.
“At City Football Group, our objective remains to play beautiful football, identify and develop grassroots talent and have a permanent presence in the world’s football centres. There is no doubt that France is one of the top football countries in the world and we are proud to be part of that community.”
The Club
Founded in 1986, the 2001 Intertoto Cup winners have had a relatively successful history. Having worked their way up from the fifth tier, the club spent a number of years in Ligue 1 before suffering relegation in 2018.
Looking to bounce back, fans will be hopeful that investment from the City Group could provide the boost that they need.
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