Latest news with #CityFootballGroup
Daily Mail
23-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Man United Confidential: How rivals Man City cashed in on £71m Bryan Mbeumo transfer, the worrying factor that could scupper pre-season plans and the two players who stood out when India's cricket team visited
Manchester United managed to push through Bryan Mbeumo's £71million move to Old Trafford from Brentford just in time for the Cameroon star to join their US tour – but the deal will benefit neighbours Manchester City to the tune of £6.5m. Brentford signed Mbeumo in 2019 for a then club record £5.8m from French club Troyes who are owned by the City Football Group. A 10 per cent sell-on fee inserted in the deal means that the CFG will bank a significant fee from his transfer to United. United won't be too concerned after landing one of their main summer targets, even though it required weeks of haggling with Brentford who would rather have sold the player to Tottenham. Mbeumo made it clear that he was only interested in joining the club he supported as a boy, and he was delighted to see the deal get over the line so he could be on the plane to Chicago on Tuesday. 'From the start, I wanted to join this massive club,' he said in his first interview. 'Now I'm here, I'm just really happy. For me, it's the biggest club in the world. The fans are crazy, the stadium is amazing, and every player wants to play here.' Red hot in Chicago United are on alert for a heatwave in Chicago that could made conditions extremely uncomfortable for Ruben Amorim and his players in the first few days of training. After a relatively mild start to the week, United landed in warmer weather here on Tuesday night and Confidential understands that is only going to intensify on Wednesday and Thursday. The temperature is expected to top 90 degrees, but increased humidity will push that to as much as 115 degrees on the heat index, according to the National Weather Service. United are said to be aware of the spike and will factor it into the players' water breaks and nutrition plans. Ruben Amorim's side face Bournemouth here next week and the intense heat is unlikely to relent when United play their opening game against West Ham in New Jersey on Saturday and sign off against Everton in Atlanta. Better late than never There were rumours that United had been stuck on the tarmac for two hours at Manchester Airport on Tuesday before their charter jet was cleared for take-off to Chicago. In fact, the delay was half that and they were able to make up time so their arrival at O'Hare International was only delayed by 40 minutes as they touched down in the Windy City. Ruben Amorim and his players were given a police escort to the Waldorf Astoria hotel at the heart of the Magnificent Mile district of upmarket restaurants and designer stores, arriving just before 8.30pm local time. The players went straight into the dining room for dinner, passing by the small gathering of fans who had waited behind police barriers to welcome them. Given that the six-hour time difference meant it was 2.30am in the UK, it's safe to assume the United squad were in bed in their luxury suites not long after that. Stars get a little R&R There won't be too much downtime as United step up their pre-season preparations in the US, but the hotel has done its best to entertain the players by converting a banquet hall into a recreation room. Complete with dart board, table tennis table and a couple of basketball hoops, it will give the players something to do when they are not training for Saturday's opening game in the Premier League Summer Series against West Ham in New Jersey. The hotel has also adapted a lounge so the club's leadership group have a meeting room to discuss transfer business on tour. Having signed Matheus Cunha – who made the trip despite becoming a father for the second time on Monday – and Bryan Mbeumo, a striker is next on United's shopping list this summer with Amorim keen to sign one with Premier League experience. The squad will be based in Chicago until Friday – conducting their pre-match press conference for the West Ham game here even though it takes place 800 miles away – before returning to camp ahead of next week's second game against Bournemouth at Soldier Field. Tour kicks off in style United will officially kick off their US tour on Wednesday by lighting up Niagara Falls on both the American and Canadian sides in their club colours. The spectacle will be formally approved by the Governor of Niagara, with United officials also scheduled to meet the mayor and officials from Niagara Falls Park. The event will also involve a boat trip behind the falls and a firework display. United in the zone Ineos' mantra has been 'football first' and that is certainly evident in the way United have planned this summer's US tour. When the club travelled Stateside in the last two years, they played more games in more venues and changed time zones on numerous occasions. The players were said to be particularly unhappy with a flying visit to Houston to play Real Madrid in 2023 before returning to their San Diego camp, and then heading east again to face Borussia Dortmund in Las Vegas. This year, United only have three games and there is only a one-hour time difference between their base in Chicago – where they also play Bournemouth – and New Jersey and Atlanta where Ruben Amorim's side face West Ham and Everton. Hard work for Wes United's players will have to work hard on tour but few, it seems, will work harder than Wes Brown even though he last played for the club 14 years ago. A number of United ambassadors used to travel with the club in pre-season, but the cost-cutting under Sir Jim Ratcliffe means they are now paid on an appearance basis and Brown will be left to fly the flag in the US. The former United defender kicks off his tour with a Legend Q&A night with the Niagara and Toronto supporters' clubs on Wednesday. Then, on Friday morning, he will be in the Bronx to give out prizes and coaching tips to under-privileged kids at a Street Soccer USA tournament. Two more legend nights follow in New York and New Jersey on Friday and Saturday before Brown heads to Illinois to take part in a community coaching clinic which is part of a collaboration with the NFL's Chicago Bears. On Monday, the 45-year-old will be at another street soccer tournament in Chicago before turning his hand to baseball in the evening and throwing the first pitch before the Chicago White Sox face the Philadelphia Phillies. Another coaching clinic with the NBA's Chicago Bulls is followed by one last legend night before Brown can put his feet up. There's more to Harry's game The India cricket team visited Carrington on Sunday in an event organised by sponsors adidas United's stars turned their hand to cricket when the India team visited Carrington on Sunday, and Confidential learns that Harry Maguire and Tom Heaton were most at home with a bat. The get-together was organised by sponsors adidas ahead of the Fourth Test at Old Trafford this week, with the cricketers receiving United kits with their names on the back and the footballers getting a personalised India shirt each. The United players faced a series of deliveries from Shubman Gill's team in the indoor facilities before goalkeeper Heaton and wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant exchanged gloves and the latter beat his counterpart with a fine shot. United were fresh back from Stockholm, where they had played out a goalless draw with Leeds on Saturday, and had a couple more days' training before flying to Chicago on Tuesday.
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
10 things about Palermo ahead of Anglo Palermitan Trophy
City face City Football Group sister club Palermo in the inaugural Anglo Palermitan Trophy in Sicily next month. We'll travel to the Renzo Barbera Stadium to play the Serie B side at 20:00 (UK) on Saturday 9 August as we finalise preparations for the 2025/26 campaign. Advertisement The match will be shown live on and our official app for those with a CITY+ subscription. SUBSCRIBE TO CITY+ Ahead of the game, get to know a little more about our opponents… Early years English sailors and shipyard workers in Sicily, as well as politicians and businessmen, helped set up the Anglo Palermitan Athletic and Football Club in 1900. They initially played in white and red shirts as a homage to the Union Flag and changed their name to Palermo Football Club a few years later. The Anglo Palermitan Trophy commemorates the Sicilian club's maiden fixture against a team of British sailors in 1900. Advertisement Home Palermo play at the Renzo Barbera Stadium and have done since 1932. It takes its name from Palermo's chairman in the 1970s – a celebrated era for the club. Fans will commonly call it 'La Favorita' in recognition of its name between 1945 and 2002. Initially built with a running track, that was removed in 1948 meaning the stands around the ground now feel tight to the pitch. With a capacity of more than 36,000, it's been used sporadically for Italy home matches as well as three times in the 1990 World Cup – with Netherlands, Republic of Ireland and Egypt all playing there. Kits Playing in red and blue early on, Palermo chose the striking pink and black base with the change of name in 1907. Advertisement To this day, they remain one of few clubs around the world to wear pink in home matches and have gained something of a cult following around the world thanks to this. Crest Palermo's crest has gone through many changes in their long, storied history. It has been predominantly pink and black, in line with the home kits, since 1921. Many of the iterations have also featured an eagle, which also features on the city's coat of arms. The current design was unveiled in 2019, with the eagle's head pointed in a stylised 'P'. Star names Having gone through a golden period during the 2000s, many of Palermo's most recognisable names are still active or recently retired professionals. Advertisement Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani, stoic defender Andrea Barzagli and Argentinian creative talents Javier Pastore and Paulo Dybala are amongst those, while the likes of World Cup winners Luca Toni and Fabio Grosso feature in the previous generation. In 2020, the club held a vote for entries into their Hall of Fame – with Italian forward Fabrizio Miccoli earning more votes than anyone else. Miccoli scored 81 times in 179 appearances between 2007 and 2013. Trophies won Having been up and down through the Italian football pyramid, Palermo have had a rollercoaster existence. Thye've been Serie B champions on five occasions, with the first coming back in 1931/32 and the most recent in 2013/14. Advertisement In their early days, they were often winners of the Lipton Challenge Cup which was played between teams from Sicily and the south of the mainland. This meant that the final was often competed for by Palermo and Napoli, who are the current champions of Italy. European history Palermo's glory days in the 2000s saw them feature in the UEFA Cup/Europa League five times between 2005 and 2012. Their best performance came in 2005/06, when they reached the Round of 16 after meeting the likes of Lokomotiv Moscow, Espanyol, Brondby and Slavia Prague. In total, they've played 28 games in European competition and won 13 of them. Advertisement Widespread support As one of Sicily's leading clubs, support for Palermo is often closely associated with a strong sense of identity and pride in the island itself. Many Sicilian immigrants to mainland Italy continue to support the club after moving, while some Palermo fans based in Germany even started their own club in honour of their team back home, named FC Rosaneri. CFG connection 'I Rosanero' became the eleventh member of CFG in 2022 and opened their own City Football Academy just two years later. The historic Sicilian club will become the fourth CFG side that the Manchester City men's first team have faced on the pitch, following previous friendly matches with Melbourne City FC, Yokohama F. Marinos and Girona FC Advertisement Looking to the future… After an eighth-place finish in Serie B last season, Palermo have this summer appointed legendary former striker Filippo Inzaghi as their new manager. Since retiring as a player in 2012, he's turned his hand to management for multiple Italian clubs but will now be targeting a return to the top-flight for his new club. This will be his first home game as Palermo boss, so there will be a great sense of anticipation amongst the home support as well as excitement about the game itself.
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Manchester City defender will not be moving to Girona despite reports
Despite recent claims in Spain, Manchester City's Vitor Reis looks set for pre-season training with the club as normal this summer amid links to Girona. The Brazilian defender has been the subject of significant transfer talk in recent weeks, with Girona widely reported to be targeting a deal for the teenager ahead of the forthcoming 2025/26 campaign. Those reports from journalist Nil Sola suggested that the La Liga club had identified Vitor Reis as a priority defensive signing, with City Football Group channels working behind the scenes to finalise a season-long loan. It was also suggested that the 19-year-old himself had been open to the idea of gaining senior European experience with Girona, given the fierce competition for centre-back minutes at Manchester City and the need for regular development at his age. However, new information appears to have shut the door on that possibility – at least for now. Reis, who joined Manchester City from Palmeiras in January for a fee of £29.6 million, has featured sporadically in contests but is believed to have made a strong impression among staff. The next stage in that development process, it seems, will remain within Manchester – with the club now preparing for his involvement in pre-season activities over the coming weeks in the build-up to a big season for the club. According to the information of journalist Andre Hernan, Manchester City's Vitor Reis is not leaving the club for Girona this summer, despite reports linking the Brazilian with a loan move to the La Liga side. It is claimed that the 19-year-old centre-back will report back to Manchester City training as usual later this month ahead of pre-season, with assurances over an absence of negotiations with the City Football Group club. With Reis now expected to remain in Manchester, attention will turn to how involved he becomes in Pep Guardiola's early pre-season fixtures and training camps, including the Palermo friendly on August 9. The inclusion of Reis in those sessions could offer a clearer indication of how highly he is rated internally. There also remains the possibility of a loan move later in the window, with several clubs across Europe likely to monitor the player's status depending on how the summer progresses. However, for now, the immediate plan is for Reis to remain close to Pep Guardiola's squad, potentially even pushing for minutes during Manchester City's pre-season calendar depending on his physical and tactical readiness. The decision to keep the Brazilian in Manchester, rather than placing him in Girona's competitive environment, suggests a more hands-on development strategy from City's staff. Whether that results in competitive senior involvement this season or a future loan to a different club remains to be seen, but any Girona switch appears off the table for now.
BBC News
16-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Former Hibs & Hearts managers link up in Belgium
Who had Lee Johnson and Robbie Neilson working together in Belgium on their 2025 bingo card?Former Hibs boss Johnson is now head coach of Belgian second-tier side Lommel, part of the City Football Group, and ex-Hearts manager Neilson has joined his this summer, Neilson expressed interest in the vacant roles at Dundee and Motherwell before both Scottish Premiership clubs appointed new former Hearts right-back was sacked by Tampa Bay Rowdies in meanwhile, had a short stint at Fleetwood following his Hibs exit and was appointed Lommel boss in March.
Irish Examiner
15-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Manchester City sign partnership deal with Puma worth at least £1bn
Manchester City have signed a new contract with Puma worth at least £1bn The £100m a-year deal extends their agreement until at least 2035 and is a marked increase from the previous £65m-a-year deal with the German kit manufacturer that ran until 2029. The contract is thought to be the first £1bn deal in English football and a record per year for a Premier League club. In July 2023 Manchester United sealed a 10-year contract with Adidas worth about £900m, and four months ago Liverpool agreed a multi-year deal with Adidas thought to be worth £60m a-season. Since City's contract with Puma started in 2019, Pep Guardiola's side have won four Premier League titles and became the second English team to claim the treble. Ferran Soriano, the chief executive of City Football Group, said: 'We joined forces with Puma with the ambition to challenge ourselves and go beyond the expectations. "We have achieved this and more over the last six seasons. Today's renewal and extension solidifies our relationship and projects it to an even brighter future.' Puma is also a partner of the City Football Group clubs Melbourne City, Girona, Lommel, Mumbai City, Montevideo, Palermo, Bolivia, Bahia and Estac. Guardian
