MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — England Premier League club Manchester City has taken control of struggling A-League club the Melbourne Heart, purchasing its license in partnership with Australian National Rugby League side the Melbourne Storm.
Football Federation Australia chief executive David Gallop said the new owners will “assume responsibility for all existing obligations of the Melbourne Heart.” He described the takeover as a vote of confidence in the future of the A-League.
Gallop said “Manchester City and their Australian partners have made a strategic investment and I welcome them to our growing competition. It’s another sign that the world is taking notice of Australian football.”
“Football has moved into the mainstream of Australian sport and is ideally placed to benefit from the boom in football across Asia,” Gallop said.
