Yankees Help Bring New Rival for Red Bulls

The New York Red Bulls, who call Harrison their home, will not be the only face of professional footy in the metropolitan area for much longer. New York City is planning to kick the ball around in the MLS come the spring of 2015.

Major League Soccer Commissioner Dan Garber announced the birth of the newest franchise in the MLS: the New York City Football Club.

The new club will be owned by 2012 Barclay’s Premier League champions Manchester City and the 27 time World Series champion New York Yankees.

“This opportunity is huge for us and huge for the city. We will work to deliver good, beautiful football to the fans in New York,” said Manchester City CEO Ferran Soriano. “We are very happy and honored to have the Yankees as partners.”

Yankees President Randy Levine echoed Soriano's statement. 

“We are very excited to be a partner with Manchester City in the New York City Football Club,” said Levine. “When the opportunity came for us to partner, we did what we do all the time. We get sought out but we only partner with quality people and brands that we believe can stand up along with ours and Man City is no doubt one of those.”

The Yankees will be a minority owner who plans to use its knowledge of the New York sports scene to help improve the club. Manchester City will be the majority owner of the NYCFC and handle soccer related decisions.

“They understand soccer and how to put championship teams together so they will be running the soccer end of it. We’re a good local partner because we know New York City, we’ve been doing business here for a long time and we know how to build championship teams,” added Levine.

The new club, which plans to make its debut in the spring of 2015, will be the first MLS club to make its home in one of the five boroughs and is expected to become an instant rival of the Red Bulls.

“Most importantly for us is that it provides a rivalry for the New York Red Bulls,” said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. “Rivalries drive the success of soccer around the world. You just need to look at what is going on in Manchester or at the six or seven teams existing in London. We are hoping that the same spectacle and intense rivalry will be created when NYCFC and the Red Bulls meet.”

The newest addition to New York City sports will be looking for an interim home for its first year and a new, permanent home in New York.

Levine firmly stated that Yankee Stadium was a possible interim home. However, the MLS has already begun discussions with the City of New York and other stakeholders about the possible construction of a new stadium in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens. 

New York City FC ownership, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and MLS Commissioner Dan Garber will meet Wednesday morning to discuss the new club. The club is also planning to announce the first offer of its front office staff on Wednesday. 

“Fans in New York want a winner, a team and organization that is committed to winning. This is a new deal. This isn’t about the Yankees and it isn’t about Manchester City. This is about the New York City Football Club,” said Levine.