Man City invest in Japanese club Yokohama F-Marinos as global expansion continues



Manchester City have bought a 20 per cent stake in Yokohama F-Marinos

Yokohama F-Marinos play in Japan's top division, the J-League

City have already bought Australian club Melbourne Heart and are launching New York City Football Club in the U.S. next season



Manchester City have bought a stake in Japanese J-League club Yokohama F-Marinos, further expanding their links with overseas clubs.

City, owned by Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Mansour, have already bought Australian club Melbourne Heart and are launching the New York City Football Club next season as part of their commercial expansion from their base in Manchester.

City chief executive Ferran Soriano said: 'We're thrilled to be able to play a role in investing and building on the ongoing success of YF Marinos.

Power-brokers: (left to right) chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, chief executive Ferran Soriano, Sheikh Mansour, manager Manuel Pellegrini and sporting director Txiki Begiristain

Yokohama F-Marinos factfile:

Formed in 1972 as Nissan Motors FC before changing name to Yokohama Marinos in 1993



Have played in Japan's top flight since 1982

One of the founder members of the J-League, which started in 1991



Merged with Yokohama Flugels in 1998 to become Yokohama F-Marinos



Won five Japanese titles including three in the J-League, the last coming in 2004



Captained by former Celtic midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura

'We are proud to offer a collaborative and integrated approach to the football, marketing, media and commercial development of all the clubs in the City family.



'At the same time, we are proud that each of our clubs is firmly rooted and invested in its local community as well as connected and engaged with its supporter base.

'We are very much looking forward to starting our collaboration.'



City are taking a stake of less than 20 per cent in the Japanese club, which has long established ties with the Nissan car company who remain its main backer.

The Barclays Premier League club will provide support in areas like training methods, coaching and medical care to YF Marinos who have not won the J-League since 2004. In return City will get additional revenues and a chance to boost their brand in Japan.

The deal was described as the first significant foreign investment in a Japanese J-League team.

Bhoy in blue: Shunsuke Nakamura (No 10) spent four years in Scotland at Celtic

World Cup venue: The 72,000-seater Nissan Stadium in Yokohama hosted matches at Japan-South Korea 2002

'The YF Marinos is an excellent soccer club with a rich history which has grown hand in hand with Nissan,' said Carlos Ghosn, Nissan President and CEO.

'This partnership will contribute to the growth of the club, the club's hometown and Japanese soccer,' he added.

City, English champions twice in the past three seasons, have been fined and had their Champions League squad size capped for next season after falling foul of Financial Fair Play rules.

The club say that they are on course to move into profit from next season after Sheikh Mansour ploughed hundreds of millions of pounds into creating a team capable of competing with the best in Europe.

Fanatical support: Manabu Saito greets fans a J-League match against Kawasaki Frontale last week