Boom! Nissan takes control of Yokohama F Marinos, buying out City Football Group's (CFG) minority stake in the process. It's a shock move that brings back memories of the car manufacturer's founding of the Japanese J1 League side all those years ago – as a works team, no less.
The writing has been on the wall for CFG, having sold its majority stake in Mumbai City last December and now Nissan taking advantage of the situation to become the sole owner. It's not just the ownership that's changed, though – this sale is closely linked to Nissan's decision six months ago to axe an 11-year sponsorship deal with CFG, a move widely seen as a cost-cutting measure.
But don't worry, Yokohama F Marinos fans! Despite the change in ownership, CFG will maintain a partnership with the club. A statement from the club confirmed the share transfer and highlighted their continued relationship with CFG: "CFG has provided wide-ranging support for our club’s management and operations as a shareholder to date. Moving forward, Yokohama F. Marinos and CFG will continue their relationship as partner clubs."
The partnership will continue to focus on sporting and commercial development – a key area of growth for the club as it looks to strengthen its top team and partnerships. The club also plans to stabilise its management foundation and improve financial sustainability through a medium-to-long-term growth strategy.
CFG, founded in 2013 with Manchester City at its core, has grown into one of the world's leading multi-club networks over the years – and it's not hard to see why. With stakes in clubs like New York City, Melbourne, and Yokohama (before this sale!), CFG rapidly expanded across the globe before adding teams in Uruguay, Spain, China, Belgium, France, and Brazil. The company is majority owned by Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Mansour, with a minority stake held by US private equity firm Silver Lake.