Skip to Main Content
HBS Home
  • About
  • Academic Programs
  • Alumni
  • Faculty & Research
  • Baker Library
  • Giving
  • Harvard Business Review
  • Initiatives
  • News
  • Recruit
  • Map / Directions
Faculty & Research
  • Faculty
  • Research
  • Featured Topics
  • Academic Units
  • …→
  • Harvard Business School→
  • Faculty & Research→
Publications
Publications
  • November 2022 (Revised January 2023)
  • Case
  • HBS Case Collection

The Globalization of Manchester City Football Group

By: Maria P. Roche, Tiona Zuzul, Exequiel Hernandez and Amy Klopfenstein
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:25
ShareBar

Abstract

This case describes the efforts of City Football Group (CFG) to purchase Esporte Clube Bahia (Bahia), a Brazilian professional soccer club. CFG’s strategy was to acquire under-performing clubs worldwide, invest money in high-profile players, and improve the teams’ performances. The company also aimed to develop young players on its lower-tier teams and then funnel them to Manchester City, its highest-performing team, once they matured. CFG instructed the teams to follow a similar style of play and, in some cases, changed teams’ jerseys and names to conform to CFG’s brand. Purchasing Bahia presented the opportunity to gain a foothold in Brazilian soccer, an under-monetized market poised for rapid growth. Yet Bahia was a mid-tier team with no star players. It was also unclear whether Bahia’s fans and players would meld with CFG’s culture and expectations. At the conclusion of the case, CFG CEO Ferran Soriano discovers that the price for Bahia is significantly higher than reports had initially indicated. Is the club worth the price?

Keywords

Business Ventures; Acquisition; Business Conglomerates; Geography; Geographic Location; Geographic Scope; Globalization; Global Strategy; Globalized Markets and Industries; Markets; Demand and Consumers; Marketing; Brands and Branding; Organizations; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Sports; Strategy; Competition; Competitive Advantage; Diversification; Expansion; Sports Industry; Europe; United Kingdom; England; South America; Brazil

Citation

Roche, Maria P., Tiona Zuzul, Exequiel Hernandez, and Amy Klopfenstein. "The Globalization of Manchester City Football Group." Harvard Business School Case 723-391, November 2022. (Revised January 2023.)
  • Educators

About The Authors

Maria P. Roche

Strategy
→More Publications

Tiona W. Zuzul

Strategy
→More Publications

More from the Authors

    • December 2022
    • Faculty Research

    How Do You Keep Winning? Strategy Across Technological and Industry Lifecycles

    By: Tiona Zuzul
    • December 2022
    • Faculty Research

    What is the Game? Understanding the Environment

    By: Maria P. Roche
    • November 2022
    • Faculty Research

    Walmart USA—Searching for Growth

    By: Maria P. Roche
More from the Authors
  • How Do You Keep Winning? Strategy Across Technological and Industry Lifecycles By: Tiona Zuzul
  • What is the Game? Understanding the Environment By: Maria P. Roche
  • Walmart USA—Searching for Growth By: Maria P. Roche
ǁ
Campus Map
Harvard Business School
Soldiers Field
Boston, MA 02163
→Map & Directions
→More Contact Information
  • Make a Gift
  • Site Map
  • Jobs
  • Harvard University
  • Trademarks
  • Policies
  • Accessibility
  • Digital Accessibility
Copyright © President & Fellows of Harvard College