MANCHESTER CITY FOOTBALL CLUB

Transcription

MANCHESTER CITY
FOOTBALL CLUB
Pre-Season Tour 2015
MANCHESTER CITY
FOOTBALL CLUB
IS THE HEART OF
THE CITY.
Throughout its proud history, our football
club has built a deep, lasting kinship with
communities in Manchester and in cities
further afield. The fans show it in their
unwavering passion for the Club; we show
it through our dedication to building, for them,
the successful and sustainable football club
for the future. It is a responsibility that the
Club is honoured to shoulder.
MCFC Pre-Season Tour 2015
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CONTACTS
COMMUNICATIONS
DEPARTMENT
Chief Executive Officer
Ferran Soriano
Chief Communications Officer
Vicky Kloss
Simon Heggie
Head of Media Relations
Director of Football
Txiki Begiristain
Chief Financial Officer
Jorge Chumillas
[email protected]
T: +44 161 438 7738
M: +44 7791 857 452
First Team Manager
Manuel Pellegrini
Chief Infrastructure Officer
Jon Stemp
Assistant Manager
Ruben Cousillas Fuse
Club Ambassador
Mike Summerbee
Assistant Manager
Brian Kidd
Life President
Bernard Halford
Alex Rowen
Media Relations Manager
[email protected]
T: +44 161 438 7630
M: +44 7885 268 047
Head of Elite Development Squad
Patrick Vieira
Managing Director of City
Football Services
Brian Marwood
All information correct at time of writing
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Contacts for Australia
Simon Heggie (Melbourne-only)
Alex Rowen
Contacts for Vietnam
Simon Heggie
Alex Rowen
TOUR DESTINATION
OVERVIEW
Tournament City
Date
Opponent
Kick Off
Tournament
Venue
Training Camp 9 - 18 July Gold Coast,
Australia
Saturday
18 July
Melbourne
City FC
17:00 AEST
Friendly
CBus
Stadium
International 19 - 24 July
Champions Cup
Melbourne,
Australia
Tuesday
21 July
Roma
20:00 AEST
International
Champions
Cup
MCG
Friendly Hanoi,
Vietnam
Friday
24 July
Real Madrid
20:00 AEST
International
Champions
Cup
MCG
Monday
27 July
Vietnam
National
Team
20:00 ICT
Friendly
Mỹ Đình
Stadium
Date
FIXTURES:
LOCAL TIMES
25 July - 27 July
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CITY IN AUSTRALIA
City travel to Australia this summer to
participate in the International Champions
Cup Australia, presented by Audi.
Manuel Pellegrini’s side will head out to
Gold Coast, Queensland to begin their
pre-season preparations, where they will
meet their Melbourne City counterparts
at the CBus Super Stadium on Saturday
18 July 2015. City will also play Adelaide
United in a warm up game behind closed
doors on Wednesday 15 July before
moving on to Melbourne to compete in the
most significant football event ever hosted
in the country.
There they will face Italian giants Roma
on Tuesday 21 July (8pm kick-off) and
Champions League semi-finalists
Real Madrid on Friday 24 July (8pm
kick-off). Both fixtures will be played at the
Melbourne Cricket Ground.
City manager Manuel Pellegrini expressed
his excitement about the trip: “I think it is
important for this Club to go to Australia.
“Firstly, because we have a sister club
there and I think it is a country where they
like football and to play with teams like Real
Madrid there is very important.
“We are particularly excited to be visiting
Melbourne, which is home to our sister
Club, Melbourne City. We know that it
will also be a home away from home for
Manchester City and we can’t wait to play
in front of our Australian fans.”
This major international event is expected
to bring football and sporting enthusiasts
from all around Australia and the
Asia-Pacific region to Melbourne and will
be broadcast to more than 150 countries.
Nine Live, TLA Worldwide and RSE
Ventures will bring the European trio to
Australia and RSE Ventures CEO Matt
Higgins is excited by what the tournament
promises: “This event continues to fulfil
fans’ demand for competitive football
during the European summer, and bringing
games to Melbourne shows the truly global
reach of the tournament.
“We look forward to hundreds of
thousands of fans packing the MCG.”
City Chief Executive Ferran Soriano,
echoed those sentiments: “We are looking
forward, once again, to being a part of
the ICC.
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CITY IN VIETNAM
The second leg of our pre-season tour will
see Manuel Pellegrini’s side travel to Vietnam.
The second leg of our pre-season tour
will see Manuel Pellegrini’s side travel
to Vietnam.
Following the Blues’ involvement in the
International Champions Cup presented
by Audi, City will travel to the Vietnamese
capital city of Hanoi.
Arriving on Saturday 25 July 2015, the
Premier League outfit will spend three days
in the country and will face the Vietnamese
national team in a friendly tie to be played
at Mỹ Đình National Stadium on Monday
27 July.
Speaking about the club’s plan to visit
Vietnam for the first time in its history,
Manchester City chief executive Ferran
Soriano expressed his delight with the
arrangements: “We are very excited about
the prospect of visiting Vietnam as part of
our pre-season preparations.
“We look forward to competing against
the Vietnamese national team in a fixture
that will provide a valuable challenge to our
squad ahead of the new campaign.
“This will be the club’s first ever visit to
Vietnam and we are delighted to be playing
in front of so many passionate football
supporters and so many Manchester
City fans.
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“We are very privileged to be able to
come and play in front of the country’s
outstanding football supporters and we
look forward to seeing you there.”
This fixture is a result of the joint efforts
of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF),
Saigon-Hanoi Commercial Joint Stock
Bank (SHB) and Manchester City.
SHB Chairman Do Quang Hien is looking
forward to the visit: “We confirm our
invitation to one of England’s leading
football clubs to Vietnam to play a friendly
match primarily for football fans and for
sports lovers in general.
“Football fans of the country will see with
their own eyes the stars of the Premier
League play at the Mỹ Đình Stadium
against the Vietnam National Team.
“I hope players of Manchester City and
the Vietnamese National Team will offer
Vietnamese football fans an emotional
match”.
VFF President Le Hung Dung added:
“The invitation of one of the top clubs in
the Premier League to Vietnam means
a chance for Vietnamese players to play
against world-class players and fans to
witness the brightest stars of the English
Premier League to perform at the Mỹ Đình
Stadium.
FACTS & FIGURES
CLUB HISTORY
European Cup Winners’ Cup:
1970
FA Charity Shield Winners:
1937-38, 1968-69, 1972-73, 2011-2012
1875 - 1902
1880 St Mark’s Church forms a football
team which would later evolve into MCFC.
Football League Champions:
1936-37, 1967-68, 2011-12, 2013-14
Full Members Cup Runners-up:
1986
Football League Runners-up:
1903-04, 1920-21, 1976-77, 2012-13,
2014-15
FA Youth Cup Winners:
1986, 2008
1884 The first known ‘City shirt’ is created
– in black, with a Maltese-style cross.
Some say this is because of the club’s
strong links with Freemasonry in the 1880s,
others believe the white cross proves the
link with St Mark’s was still strong.
Reserve League Champions:
1977-78, 1986-87, 1999-2000
1887 St Mark’s team evolves into Ardwick
AFC and moves to Hyde Road.
Division One Runners-up:
1999-2000
Most goals in a season:
108 in Division Two 1926-27 (42 games)
& Division One 2001-02 (46 games)
1889 An explosion at the nearby Hyde
Road coal mine results in the death of 23
miners – Ardwick and Newton Heath play
a friendly match under floodlights in aid of
the disaster fund.
Division Two Champions (original):
1898-99, 1902-03, 1909-10, 1927-28,
1946-47, 1965-66
Most goals in all competitions
in a season:
156 in 2013-14
1892 The second division of the English
Football League is created, with Ardwick
AFC as founder members.
Division Two Runners-up (original):
1895-96, 1950-51, 1988-89
Most League goals by one player
in a season:
38 by Tommy Johnson in Division One
1928-29
Division One Champions:
2001-02
Division Two Play Off Winners:
1998-99
FA Cup Winners:
1904, 1934, 1956, 1969, 2011
FA Cup Runners-up:
1926, 1933, 1955, 1981, 2013
League Cup Winners:
1970, 1976, 2014
Most points (2 for a win):
62 in Division Two 1946-47
Most points (3 for a win):
99 in Division One 2001-02
Most capped player while at the Club:
Colin Bell (England) 48
1894 Ardwick AFC reforms as Manchester
City Football Club, in a bid to represent the
whole city.
1899 City finish champions of Division
Two, becoming the first team to gain
automatic promotion.
1904 The Blues beat Bolton Wanderers
in the FA Cup final at Crystal Palace,
becoming the first Manchester side to win
a major trophy.
1914 to 1918 World War One
League football is suspended from
1915-1919, though regional Subsidiary
tournaments are still in place with City
taking part in the Lancashire division.
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1920s
1920 City’s Hyde Road ground becomes
the first provincial football stadium to be
visited by a reigning monarch.
1923 After Hyde Road is destroyed by fire,
the club moves to the 85,000 capacity
Maine Road.
1926 A topsy-turvy year for the Blues
– managerless City become the first
Manchester side to play at Wembley
(FA Cup runners-up), record the highest
Manchester derby victory (6-1 at Old
Trafford) and suffer relegation in the same
season.
1928 City promoted as Champions of
Division Two and are the Football League’s
best-supported club.
1930s
1934 After losing the final last year, City
beat Portsmouth 2-1 to lift the FA Cup.
1934 A record provincial crowd of 84,569
is recorded at Maine Road when the Blues
entertain Stoke City.
1937 Manchester City win the League
Championship for the first time.
1939 to 1945 World War Two
A Wartime League is set up with City
playing in the Northern division. Substantial
damage to Old Trafford means United are
forced to play their home games at Maine
Road. However City would never allow
United usage of the home team changing
room when the two teams met!
CLUB HISTORY
1945 - 1950
1947 City are promoted as Champions of
Division Two.
1949 The MCFC Official Supporters Club
is formed.
1950s
1955 City lose to Newcastle United in the
1955 FA Cup final at Wembley.
1956 The Blues play their second
successive FA Cup Final, this time beating
Birmingham 3-1 to lift the trophy. Their
homecoming parade is the first outside
transmission by Granada Television.
1958 The Munich Air Disaster devastates
Manchester United’s first team squad
and also kills several journalists including
former City goalkeeper Frank Swift.
1960s
1965 A new club badge is developed in
1965, based around the central part of the
City of Manchester coat of arms.
1966 City are promoted as champions of
Division Two, under the management team
of Joe Mercer and Malcolm Allison.
1968 The Blues defeat Newcastle United
on the final day of the season to clinch the
League Championship for the second time.
1969 Manchester City beat Leicester City
1-0 at Wembley to win the FA Cup.
1970s
1970 City complete a brilliant European
and domestic cup double by winning
the European Cup Winners Cup and the
League Cup.
1972 The City badge is replaced with the
red rose of Lancashire.
1974 City lose the League Cup final to
Wolves.
1976 The Blues beat Newcastle United 2-1
at Wembley, with goals from Peter Barnes
and a spectacular over-head kick from
Dennis Tueart.
1979 The club break the transfer record,
signing Steve Daley for £1,450,277. Within
two years, the Blues became the first side
to sign three individual £1m+ players (Kevin
Reeves & Trevor Francis were the other
two).
1980s
1981 City reach the 100th FA Cup final
against Tottenham Hotspurs. Following
a 1-1 draw on the Saturday, a replay was
played again at Wembley, regarded as one
of the most entertaining Cup finals ever.
City were narrowly defeated 3-2 following
a famous Ricky Villa goal but for City fans,
Steve MacKenzie’s 30-yard volley was the
better strike.
1986 City play in the inaugural Full
Members’ Cup final at Wembley before a
crowd of 68,000.
1987 A club record 10-1 demolition of
Huddersfield Town is recorded at Maine
Road.
1989 City are promoted in dramatic style
in the last game of the season at Bradford.
The highest ever Maine Road derby win is
recorded, with City thumping neighbours
Manchester United 5-1.
1990s
1992 The FA Premier League is formed,
with City v QPR being the first ever live
Monday night Sky game.
1994 City say farewell to the much-loved
Kippax Stand as legislation forces the
closure of terracing at Premier League
grounds. In its day ‘The Kippax’ was the
largest standing area in the country.
1995/96 A dramatic season sees City
appoint three different managers; Alan
Ball, Steve Coppell and Frank Clark as well
as significant spells as caretaker for Asa
Hartford and Phil Neal.
1997 City unveil a new club badge. This
new design features the Latin motto
“Superbia in proelio” meaning ‘Pride in
battle’.
1999 One of the most dramatic games
ever played at Wembley sees City
promoted after a penalty shoot-out against
Gillingham in the Division Two Play-Off.
2000s
2000 City return to the Premier League
following back-to-back promotions. A 4-1
victory over Blackburn Rovers at Ewood
Park to seal promotion is followed by a
celebratory pitch invasion by the Blues’
enormous travelling support.
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2002 Future manager Stuart Pearce
captains City as they are promoted back
to the Premiership, breaking club records
for the most goals scored and most points
gained in a season along the way.
2003 It’s an emotional farewell to Maine
Road as City’s home for 80 years stages its
last football match, City vs. Southampton
on11th May. The club make the move to
the impressive, 48,000 capacity, City of
Manchester Stadium.
2007 Sven Goran Eriksson replaces
Stuart Pearce as manager, and on 15th
December City establish a ‘top flight’ club
record of nine consecutive home league
wins at the start of the season.
2008 The Abu Dhabi United Group
become the new owners of Manchester
City. Former Wales, Barcelona, Bayern
Munich and Manchester United star Mark
Hughes becomes the new City Manager.
The club break the British transfer record
for the second time with the £32.5m
signing of Robinho from Real Madrid.
2009 Roberto Mancini, former manager
of Inter Milan replaces Mark Hughes in
December.
CLUB HISTORY
2010 The Blues enjoy their best ever
Premier League campaign, finishing 5th
and qualifying for the Europa League in the
process, as well as reaching the League
Cup semi-finals.
2011 The long wait for a trophy ends
when the Blues beat Stoke 1-0 to lift the
FA Cup, and they qualify for the 2011/12
Champions League for the first time too!
2012 City win the League Championship
for the first time in 44 years following a
thrilling Premier League campaign. A
last-gasp Sergio Aguero goal against QPR
secures the title in the most dramatic of
fashions at a jubilant Etihad Stadium.
2013 New York City FC is announced – the
partnership between Manchester City FC
and the New York Yankees.
Manuel Pellegrini, former manager of
Malaga joins MCFC in June.
2014 City complete a domestic double by
beating West Ham United 2-0 on the final
day of the season to claim their second
Premier League title in three years, adding
to the League Cup won after a dramatic
Wembley comeback against Sunderland in
March. The Blues also reach the knockout
stages of the Champions League for the
first time. MCFC, in partnership with the
owners of Melbourne Storm, acquire
Australian side Melbourne Heart in
January, which is later renamed
Melbourne City.
2015 City seal investment and partnership
with J-League soccer club Yokohama F
Marinos in a deal designed to create new
global opportunities for Japanese soccer
talent. City Football Group subsequently
launches City Football Japan.
The City Football Academy opens with the
intent of securing MCFC’s future as one of
the world’s leading football clubs
by investing in the development of
young talent.
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THE TRANSFORMATION
OF MANCHESTER CITY
In September 2008, Sheikh Mansour bought
Manchester City FC and outlined his vision of
creating a sustainable and successful football
club with the fans at its heart.
City completed the signing of Robinho on
the same day the takeover was announced
which pointed sincere ambition to
transform the fortunes of this English
institution.
93:20
But of course no history of Manchester
City FC is complete without the remarkable
events of 13 May 2012 - the final day of the
Premier League season.
Carlos Tevez, Vincent Kompany and
Nigel de Jong soon followed as the club
set about propelling itself back into the
upper reaches of the Premier League and
challenging for silverware once more.
After running down an eight point gap
on rivals Manchester United with just six
games remaining, City knew that victory
over QPR at the Etihad Stadium would
guarantee a first ever Premier League title
and crown them English champions for the
first time in 44 years.
Former Inter coach Roberto Mancini was
appointed manager in December 2009
and added David Silva and Yaya Toure to
his squad in the summer of 2010.
What followed were seasons that City fans
of a certain age could never have dreamed
of.
Landmarks came thick and fast, with City
qualifying for the UEFA Champions League
for the first time in 2010/11 and ending the
35 year trophy drought with an FA Cup win
in the same year after the 1-0 Wembley win
over Stoke City.
10
It was all going so well when Pablo
Zabaleta gave the Blues the lead on the
stroke of half-time but two second-half
goals from the visitors turned the match on
its head and a stadium which was having
a party soon became a home to nerves,
panic and desperation.
THE TRANSFORMATION
OF MANCHESTER CITY
What followed were 24 agonising minutes
when QPR defended for their lives with
10 men packed inside their penalty area,
blocking every City shot and, as the game
entered its 90th minute, commentators
and pundits were already concocting their
own epitaphs for City’s title race.
Cityitis, Typical City, this could only happen
to City, they said, until…
Bosnian striker Edin Dzeko headed the
Blues level in the first minute of injury time,
a goal that gave City a glimmer of hope but
surely it was still too late?
Not so, as Sergio Aguero impossibly
stayed on his feet to ride a couple of sliding
tackles and with one definitive lash of that
exquisite right foot, ended 44 years of hurt
for hundreds of thousands of City fans
around the globe.
Although the Blues were unable to
recapture their title in the following season,
City did return to Wembley for an FA
Cup final against Wigan, only to fall to
a last-gasp Ben Watson header which
condemned the Blues to defeat.
That summer, radical changes were made
as Mancini was replaced by Manuel
Pellegrini and five new stars in the shape
of Fernandinho, Jesus Navas, Alvaro
Negredo, Stevan Jovetic and Martin
Demichelis were brought in.
Pellegrini’s side reached the Champions
League Round of 16 for the first time in
their history, before becoming the fastest
club in Premier League history to score
100 competitive goals in all competitions.
City’s goalscoring exploits became their
most potent weapon as the Blues would
go on to net an incredible 102 league goals
– the second-highest Premier League tally
on record.
That feat also presented another
impressive achievement, as it had been
the first time a team had boasted three
different players (Sergio Aguero, Edin
Dzeko and Yaya Toure) to score more than
15 league goals.
In March 2014, Pellegrini received his first
English trophy, having masterminded a
thrilling win in the Capital One Cup final,
ensuring his side claimed the trophy for
the first time since 1976.
Then in May, although it had looked
as though City had surrendered their
challenge for the Premier League crown,
the Chilean secured the domestic title with
a 2-0 victory over West Ham at the Etihad
Stadium. The triumph secured a league
and cup double for the Blues – a feat last
accomplished in 1970.
After a tricky start in which the Blues failed
to win away from home until mid-October,
City soon found their rhythm and set about
smashing a whole host of records.
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THE TRANSFORMATION
OF MANCHESTER CITY
CFA
Off the pitch, City’s new youth development and first team training
centre – the City Football Academy (CFA) was opened in 2014.
The CFA accommodates not only all playing squads, but also the
majority of Manchester based staff in one connected operational base.
It is a global headquarters for those in the wider City Football family,
which now includes sister clubs New York City FC, Melbourne City FC
and Yokohama F. Marinos.
The project was underpinned by ambitious local recruitment that
significantly up-skilled the local community and made a positive
economic impact on the surrounding area.
The City Football Academy includes…
• A new Academy for up to 400 young players
with classrooms for 200
• On site accommodation for junior and senior players
• 16.5 football pitches, 12 of them dedicated to players
aged from 8 to 21
• A state of the art first team building with changing rooms,
gym, refectory and injury and rehab centre
• A 7,000 capacity stadium for youth matches
• Staff offices and a dedicated media centre
• A bridge linking the site to the Etihad Stadium
and the rest of the Etihad Campus.
12
MANCHESTER CITY
WOMEN’S FC
Formerly known as Manchester City Ladies
FC, the club was founded in 1988 by City in
the Community. In the 25 years since then,
their affiliation with the men’s team has taken
various forms, culminating in the statement of
a formal partnership with Manchester City in
August 2012.
The Club was granted entry to the FA
Women’s Super League in April 2013 and
subsequently re-launched as Manchester
City Women’s Football Club in January
2014.
The Club mirrors and benefits from its
association with its male equivalent and is
structured in all aspects of its operations
to take advantage of the resources of the
wider organisation – from community
programmes, to youth development,
scouting, coaching, sports science,
digital coverage and first team football
operations.
In their inaugural season under Head
Coach Nick Cushing, Manchester City
Women’s Football Club secured a fifth
place finish in the league and made history
when they clinched their first ever trophy,
the FA WSL Continental Cup.
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The team, of which five are England
internationals who recently competed
in the 2015 Women’s World Cup play
their home games in the 7,000 capacity
Academy Stadium at City Football
Academy, the facility which they share
alongside the men’s and academy teams.
Brian Marwood, Director of City Football
Services said: “We’re delighted with the
progress the women’s team have made
since their re-launch in January 2014.
“Seeing them win their first trophy was a
special moment for everyone connected
with Manchester City, and a testament to
how hard the team had worked in their first
twelve months together.
“We look forward to sharing future
successes together in the coming years.”
MELBOURNE CITY FC
Melbourne City FC is a professional football
club that competes in the major Australian
domestic competition, the Hyundai A-League,
the top tier of women’s football, the Westfield
W-League, and the Foxtel National Youth
League.
City Football Group acquired ownership
of the club on 22 January 2014, when it
was then known as Melbourne Heart FC.
The Club was rebranded in June 2014
as Melbourne City FC with new kits and
a new badge unveiled, inspired by the
heritage and tradition of the city as well as
celebrating modern Victorian culture. The
central red and white component of the
badge ensures that the Club’s foundation
colours will always be an integral part of its
ethos as the club continues to evolve.
Based at La Trobe University, Melbourne
City FC’s home ground is AAMI Park in
Melbourne, Australia. Experienced Head
Coach John van’t Schip steered the team
to a semi-final berth for the first time in
the Club’s history, after entering the Finals
Series on the back of a fifth-place finish on
the ladder at the conclusion of the regular
season. The team also set a nine-match
unbeaten record at home at AAMI Park,
while Aaron Mooy was the standout player,
voted the Club’s Player of the Year, Etihad
Supporters Player of the Year and recipient
of the Club’s Golden Boot. The team will
compete in the 2015/16 A-League season,
which runs from October 2015 to
May 2016.
The Club prides itself on developing
Australia’s best young talent and has
helped players transition from the Hyundai
A-League to Newcastle United, AZ
Alkmaar, the Turkish Super Lig and the top
leagues in Asia.
Originally founded in 2009, the Club
entered Australian soccer’s premier league
at the start of the 2010-11 campaign,
when they triumphed 2-1 in the inaugural
Melbourne derby over cross-city rivals
Melbourne Victory.
Ferran Soriano, CEO of the City Football
Group said: “We are excited about the
opportunity to make Melbourne City one
of the most successful football clubs in
Australia and throughout the region.
“We believe the strong sports culture of
Melbourne combined with the football
and commercial expertise within our
consortium will make for a powerful
combination both on and off the pitch.
“Following a lengthy consultation with the
Club’s members, partners, the FFA and a
range of other stakeholders, we believe the
changes will strengthen the Club’s ties with
the community to which it belongs while
expanding its ability to grow commercially
and harness the many benefits of
belonging to the City family.”
14
Scott Munn, CEO of Melbourne City FC,
said: “The Club has worked hard to create
an identity for Melbourne City FC that
reflects the traditions of its existing fan
base and embraces the many sporting,
operational and commercial benefits that
are provided by our association
with Manchester City FC and
New York City FC.”
NEW YORK CITY FC
New York City FC is the newest professional
soccer team in the New York City area and the
first Major League Soccer (MLS) Club to play
within the five boroughs.
The Club live and breathe New York City’s
diverse culture and embrace the inclusion
of all five boroughs in the Club philosophy.
New York City FC is supported by their
majority owner, City Football Group. The
Club play their home games at Yankee
Stadium. The New York Yankees are a
minority owner.
Building a new on field team from scratch,
New York City FC Sporting Director,
and former Manchester City and US
international midfielder, Claudio Reyna,
along with Head Coach, Jason Kreis, have
put together a squad with an exciting mix
of global super-stars, MLS experience and
young up-and-coming talent.
International stars David Villa, Frank
Lampard and Andrea Pirlo represent the
most decorated, international trio in MLS
history. Aside from the numerous domestic
league titles between them, it is the first
time any team in the league has included
three UEFA Champions League winners
and two World Cup winners.
New Yorkers have embraced their new
Club, with approximately 17,000 season
ticket holders and an average attendance
of nearly 29,000, making it one of the best
supported teams in the league.
15
Ferran Soriano, CEO of both New York City
FC and Manchester City FC, said:
“New York is a legendary sports town as
well as a thriving global city with a rapidly
expanding soccer fan-base. We are thrilled
to contribute to the energy and growth of
New York City soccer.”
“With a large fan base throughout the
New York area, prime television rights and
distribution, sponsorship commitments,
and the Yankees as a US partner, New
York City Football Club has everything in
place to succeed.”
Claudio Reyna, New York City FC Sporting
Director added:
“We are building something incredibly
special; with a blend of exciting and
experienced players who are known all
over the world, with some fantastic young
talent, who will only benefit from being
around individuals like David Villa, Frank
Lampard and Andrea Pirlo. The greatest
privilege of all is to watch this team play
in front of our incredible fans at Yankee
Stadium.”
NEW YORK CITY FC
Head Coach, Jason Kreis speaks quite
openly about building a team:
“We have created a squad of players who
all have a tremendous appetite for the
game. The stories and accolades often
go to DPs but it’s more than that with this
club. I believe with every young talent we
have on our team, I believe we can make
them a fantastic player. I believe with the
right amount of work, dedication and
commitment you can bring a bunch of
normal players who are great men together
to make a great team. I believe you can
always get more out of everybody. That
drives me to try to continually improve
individuals and try to improve the team as
a whole.”
On March 15, 2015, the Club played their
historic first home match at the iconic
Yankee Stadium in the Bronx and defeated
the 2014 MLS Cup Finalists, New England
Revolution, 2-0 in front of a crowd of
43,507, bringing professional soccer back
to within the five boroughs.
Often known for thanking the fans
publically for their continued support,
Captain David Villa said:
“We have to thank the fans, and I would
like to take this opportunity to thank the
fans publicly. Having the fans behind us
like they are, I think that’s amazing. Once
again, I’d like to thank all the fans for all
their support and to tell them we’ll continue
to work hard for them.”
The 43,507 crowd mobbed the Stadium’s
14 retail outlets from the moment the gates
opened two hours before the game, until
90 minutes after the action had finished.
The most popular item was a soccer fan
favourite – the scarf. With eight different
designs on sale, by the time the final
whistle was blown, every single one of the
4,000 scarves in the stadium had sold out.
Tom Glick, President of New York City FC,
said:
“Our historic home opener was a very
special day for our Club. We were
overwhelmed by the huge and vocal crowd
who made Yankee Stadium their own.”
“The demand for New York City FC
merchandise at the game shows the
appetite for the Club and how eager
our fans are to get behind their team.
They weren’t just there to witness an
extraordinary spectacle in the history of
New York sports; they were buying into
their team and showing their support.”
Approximately half way through their
inaugural season, the team continue to
work hard and while results have been
mixed, New York City FC are focused on
making a push for the playoffs and the
support continues to grow. On June 28,
2015, the Club broke their home opener
attendance record with a sell-out crowd
of 48,047 at the very first “Hudson River
Derby” at Yankee Stadium, played against
the New York Red Bulls.
The Club also made history off the field
at the home opener, shattering a 20 year
single game retails sales record.
16
YOKOHAMA F. MARINOS
In May 2014 City Football Group announced
an investment and partnership which saw the
group become a minority shareholder of the
Yokohama F. Marinos (YF Marinos).
The deal represented the first significant
foreign investment in a J-League soccer
club and was designed to create new
global opportunities for the YF Marinos
and Japanese soccer talent.
“We are proud to offer a collaborative
and integrated approach to the football,
marketing, media and commercial
development of all the clubs in the City
family.
The deal also sees CFG collaborate with
YF Marinos, exposing them to a worldclass soccer infrastructure and network
not seen before in the J-League but that
has achieved popular acclaim and real
success with teams like Manchester City.
“At the same time, we are proud that each
of our clubs is firmly rooted and invested in
its local community as well as connected
and engaged with its supporter base. We
are very much looking forward to starting
our collaboration.”
“The YF Marinos is an excellent soccer
club with a rich history which has grown
hand in hand with Nissan. Together we
see opportunities that CFG’s global soccer
infrastructure will bring to the club and
the excitement it will bring to the fans,”
said Carlos Ghosn, Nissan President and
CEO. “This partnership will contribute to
the growth of the club, the growth of our
shared hometown, Yokohama, as well as
Yokosuka and Japanese soccer.”
The globally innovative partnership
between business and sport provides the
four times Asia champions, and three times
J-league champions, in-depth knowledge
and experience across the CFG global
network which consists of Manchester
City’s senior, youth and women’s teams,
Melbourne Heart and New York City
Football Club.
“We’re thrilled to be able to play a role in
investing and building on the on-going
success of YF Marinos,” said Ferran
Soriano, CEO, City Football Group.
In forming this partnership, YF Marinos
gained unrivalled access to CFG’s training
methods, medical care, sport science,
team management and coaching knowhow, providing a motivational draw for
young Japanese players and placing the
club in pole position to support the national
team efforts of creating a world-class team
for the future.
Akira Kaetsu, YF Marinos President
commented: “This collaboration presents a
fantastic opportunity to boost the support
and growth of our club, not only in the
community through youth sport investment
and increased attendance, but also
internationally by attracting more sponsors
and supporting the national team efforts.
17
“Over the last four years we have
undergone significant reform with the
clear goal of becoming a leading club in
Japan and we have achieved our target
successfully. Alongside CFG we look
forward to building on that foundation to
take YF Marinos into the wider Asian and
World arenas.”
As a global brand, Nissan stands for
innovation to excite their consumer, a
brand essence shared by City Football
Group. With this shared purpose the two
partners will explore further global joint
opportunities in the coming months.
MANAGEMENT
MANUEL PELLEGRINI
MANAGER
Pellegrini’s early coaching career
is characterised by short tenures
across South America, taking his
first job at Universidad Chile at the
age of 33. Modest success followed
in subsequent year-long spells at
Palestino and O’Higgins in the early
nineties but Manuel would first gain
true notoriety across the continent for
his two year reign at six-time Chilean
champions, Universidad Catolica.
Date of birth: 16 September 1953
Place of birth: Santiago, Chile
Joined City: June 2013
Born in Santiago to Italian parents,
Manuel Luis Pellegrini Ripamonti is
something of a rarity in the footballing
fraternity having achieved a university
degree in Civil Engineering at
the Pontifical Catholic University
in Santiago. He achieved this
qualification while still on the books of
Universidad Chile, the only team the
cultured centre-back ever played for
in his 13-year playing career. Manuel
made 451 appearances between 1973
and 1986 for his hometown club.
He also represented his country as a
player on 28 occasions before retiring
to concentrate on coaching, soon
gaining the nickname “the Engineer”
to reflect his academic interests and
progressive footballing outlook.
18
Charged with developing two of his
nation’s most promising youngsters in
Alberto Acosta and Nestor Gorosito,
Pellegrini led the team to consecutive
second place finishes in the Primera
Division, and claimed his first piece of
silverware, the Copa Interamericana in
1994.
He followed this success with a Copa
Chile title the following year.
This first taste of success was enough
to catch the eye of LDU Quito in
Ecuador, who appointed Pellegrini
as coach in 1998, a move which was
instantly rewarded with a Serie A
triumph in his maiden campaign.
As well as winning this first league title,
LDU Quito’s excellent performances
in the continent’s premier club
competition, the Copa Libertadores
convinced Pablo Zabaleta’s San
Lorenzo to bring the manager to
Argentina in 2001. Pablo was still in
the youth team when Pellegrini led Los
Cuervos to the 2001 Clausura title and
the Copa Mercosur (South America’s
UEFA Cup equivalent) in his only year
in charge.
RUBEN COUSILLAS FUSE
ASSISTANT MANAGER
MANUEL PELLEGRINI
MANAGER
Pellegrini joined a small and exclusive
list of South American coaches to
be given jobs in European football
when he took the managerial reigns
at Villarreal in 2004. What Manuel
achieved in a five-year spell at the
Castellon club has become the
stuff of Spanish footballing legend,
building this small club up into
a Champions League force – a
remarkable achievement for a city with
a population of just 51,000.
Under the Chilean, ‘the Yellow
Submarine’ became the first
Champions League debutants to reach
the semi-finals of the competition and
went on to consistently disrupt the El
Clasico duopoly on one of La Liga’s
tightest budgets.
Real Madrid was the next project for
Pellegrini in June 2009 and although he
only lasted one season at the Santiago
Bernabeu, he still broke the points
record for the club in a single season
with 96, only missing out on the title to
Barcelona by three points.
Pellegrini left the post with the highest
win percentage of any coach to ever
manage a full season at the nine-time
European champions. Because of
this incredible record, there was no
shortage of suitors in for Pellegrini’s
services and he opted to stay in La
Liga with Malaga.
Ruben Cousillas Fuse was appointed
Assistant Manawwger on 24 June
2013.
His impact was again immediate as
he guided Los Boquerones to a fourth
place finish in his first season in charge
before masterminding their run to the
2012-13 Champions League
quarter-finals.
Former San Lorenzo (1982-83),
Millenaries (1987), Mandau (1988-89),
Velez (1989-90), Argentines (1990-91),
Huachipato (1991) goalkeeper Ruben
Cousillas Fuse joined Manuel Pellegrini
at City after previously assisting the
Chilean on several occasions.
Malaga were desperately unlucky to
be eliminated at that stage courtesy
of two stoppage time goals from
eventual finalists Borussia Dortmund
but they recovered domestically to
table a respectable sixth place finish in
Pellegrini’s final year in charge.
After beginning his tenure at the
Etihad Stadium in June 2013, Manuel
celebrated his first season in charge of
City by winning the Capital One Cup
and the Premier League to make the
most successful start to a managerial
campaign in the Club’s history.
Now seen as one of the world’s most
respected managers, the Chilean
has become synonymous with an
attractive, technical brand of football
which has won admirers from across
world football in his richly diverse and
successful coaching career.
Date of birth: 9 May 1957
Place of birth: Roque Perez,
Argentina
Joined City: June 2013
19
He moved into coaching after retiring
as a player and has worked for Talleres
de Córdoba and Argentinos Juniors,
moving to assistant coach at River
Plate Chile before joining Pellegrini at
Villarreal, Real Madrid and Malaga.
He brings a wealth of coaching
experience and is Pellegrini’s trusted
right-hand man, assisting the Chilean
to Premier League and Capital One
Cup success in his maiden campaign.
BRIAN KIDD
ASSISTANT MANAGER
Brian spent a decade at Old Trafford
as youth team boss and assistant
manager before moving to Leeds,
Sheffield United and, in 2008-09,
Portsmouth, where alongside Paul
Hart he managed to keep the south
coast side in the Premier League.
Kidd, who was born in Collyhurst and
always maintained his family home
in the Manchester area, was also
England coach under former City chief
Sven-Goran Eriksson.
Place of birth: Collyhurst, England
Joined City: December 2009
Having won the European Cup with
Manchester United, Brian later moved
to Maine Road and racked up 128
appearances, including over 50 goals,
with the Blues between 1976 and
1979. A career that also took in stints
at Everton, Arsenal and Bolton ended
in the United States before he turned
his attention to coaching, where his
techniques have won many admirers
and brought success at many levels.
After initially taking up a Technical
Development role at City in 2009, Kidd
became Assistant Manager when
Roberto Mancini was appointed in
December of that year. As Mancini’s
assistant, Kidd helped deliver the FA
Cup and a first Premier League title to
the Etihad Stadium.
The former City player has remained
on the coaching staff under Manuel
Pellegrini, and experienced even
more success as the Blues finished
Premier League and Capital One Cup
Champions in the 2013-14 season.
20
THE PLAYERS
SQUAD LIST
1 Joe HART (GK)
3 Bacary SAGNA
4 Vincent KOMPANY
5 Pablo ZABALETA
6 Fernando REGES (FERNANDO R)
8 Samir NASRI
10 Edin DŽEKO
11 Aleksandar KOLAROV
13 Willy CABALLERO (GK)
14 Wilfried BONY
15 Jesus NAVAS (J NAVAS)
16 Sergio AGUERO (KUN AGÜERO)
20 Eliaquim MANGALA
21 David SILVA
22 Gael CLICHY
23RETIRED
25FERNANDINHO
26 Martin DEMICHELIS
29 Richard WRIGHT (GK)
34 Stevan JOVETIC
35 Bruno ZUCULINI
42 Yaya TOURE (TOURE YAYA)
48 Ian LAWLOR (GK)
50 Pablo MAFFEO
51 Adam DRURY
54 Angus GUNN (GK)
58 Shay FACEY
59 Bersant CELINA
63 Eirik JOHANSEN (GK)
64 Marcos LOPES
65 Olivier NTCHAM
Squad list correct at time of going to press.
21
66
67
69
68
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
Seko FOFANO
Mathias BOSSAERTS
Jose Angel TASENDE
Greg LEIGH
George EVANS
Jason DENAYER
Kean BRYAN
George GLENDON
Ellis PLUMMER
Sinnan BYTYQI
Jordy HIWULA-MAYIFIULA
Devante COLE
Jose POZO
GOALKEEPERS
JOE
HART
He won his first England cap in June
2008 against Trinidad and Tobago but
having started that season as number
one was replaced by Shay Given in
January. Having topped 50 first team
appearances, Hart spent the summer
of 2009 playing for England’s Under
21s in the European Championships in
Sweden. The dramatic penalty shootout in the semi-final saw Joe save a
couple, and score one - but a yellow
card, his second of the tournament,
meant that he had to sit out the final.
Around this time his season-long loan
to promoted Birmingham City was also
confirmed. A resounding success at
St Andrews, he was named in the PFA
Team of the Year and included in Fabio
Capello’s England squad for the World
Cup.
Date of birth: 19 April 1987
Place of birth: Shrewsbury, England
Joe was signed by Stuart Pearce in May
2006 from the player’s home town club
Shrewsbury Town.
His professional career with the Shrews
began in the 2003/04 season, when
he played a handful of games, before
becoming first choice keeper in the
2005/06 campaign.
He was England under 19 ’keeper
when he joined the Blues and made his
first team debut on October 14, 2006,
against Sheffield United and he kept a
clean sheet in a goalless draw.
Joe was loaned out to Tranmere at the
start of January 2007 and was almost
immediately selected for England’s
Under 21s. He made a second half
appearance against Spain in a 2-2 draw.
He did not play during that ill-fated
campaign, but he impressed Roberto
Mancini enough in pre-season to get the
nod as City’s first-choice goalkeeper for
the start of 2010/11.
From the first match of that season
when Joe was awarded man of the
match in the 0-0 draw with Tottenham,
he hasn’t looked back and has
cemented his reputation as one of the
most assured goalkeepers in Europe,
becoming England’s undisputed no.1
and earning the Golden Glove award
for the Premier League in City’s titlewinning 2011/12 campaign.
Joe is one of the elder statesmen in
the City ranks now after nine years at
the club and his slow motion reaction
to Sergio Aguero’s last minute winner
against QPR on the final day has
become one of the website’s most
popular videos and showed just how
much the club’s recent success means
to him.
Joe won his second Premier League title
in 2013/14 and was also a Capital One
Cup winner as City beat Sunderland 3-1
at Wembley.
22
WILLY
CABALLERO
His early promise was spotted by
Elche, who moved quickly to bring
the keeper to Spain a year later. After
a loan spell back in Argentina with
Arsenal Sarandi, the keeper returned
to Elche and became the permanent
owner of the club’s no.1 shirt,
making nearly 200 Segunda Division
appearances.
RICHARD
WRIGHT
Former England goalkeeper Richard
Wright joined City in August 2012.
Wright, a free agent after a brief spell
with Preston North End, was signed
as back-up for Joe Hart and Costel
Pantilimon.
After seven years with Los Franjiverdes
(The Green Striped Ones), Willy was
snapped up by La Liga side Malaga
on an emergency transfer to cover an
injury to Sergio Asenjo.
Wright began his career with Ipswich
Town and made more than 300
appearances for the Tractor Boys
during three separate spells with
the club.
Swiftly adapting to his new club, Willy
made his debut between the sticks
days later against Villarreal, and went
on to play every game until the end
of the 2010-11 campaign, helping the
La Rosaleda outfit successfully avoid
relegation.
Date of birth: 28 September 1981
Place of birth: Santa Elena, Argentina
Willy Caballero arrived in Manchester
in July 2014 after previously working
with Manuel Pellegrini at Malaga,
where he clocked up 117 league
appearances.
A fine shot-stopper, the 33-yearold is recognised for his strength in
organising the defence in front of
him and has a wealth of La Liga and
European experience.
Caballero began his career in his
homeland with Boca Juniors, with
who he won the Argentina Primera
Division, Copa Libertadores and
Intercontinental Cup in 2003.
The Argentine wrote his name into the
club’s record books in October 2011
when he went 480 minutes without
conceding, and was a key member
of the squad that ended the 2011-12
campaign fourth in La Liga alongside
compatriot Martin Demichelis.
Date of birth: 5 November 1977
Place of birth: Ipswich, England
After six years at Portman Road,
Wright left Suffolk to join Arsenal in
2001 and won two England caps
during his career, one against Malta
and the other against Holland. He also
collected 15 Under-21 caps during
a spell when he was competing with
City’s Nicky Weaver for young England
international honours.
Wright left Arsenal in 2002 and joined
Everton, where he remained for five
years before having further spells
at Ipswich (twice), Southampton,
Sheffield United and Preston.
Willy gained recognition on the
European stage the following season,
as Malaga topped a Champions
League group containing AC Milan and
triumphed over Porto in the round of
16 to reach the quarter finals.
A magnificent personal campaign at
domestic level that year was rewarded
when the keeper made Goal.com’s La
Liga Team of the Season for 2012-13.
Caballero lifted the u20 FIFA World
Cup with Argentina in 2001 and was
also part of the squad that won a gold
medal at the Summer Olympics in
Athens in 2004.
23
DEFENDERS
VINCENT
KOMPANY
Kompany began his professional
career in his homeland with Anderlecht
in 2003/04 and almost immediately
attracted interest from across Europe
for his composed performances in the
Champions League.
He eventually moved to Germany and
signed for Bundesliga giants Hamburg
SV in 2006, but injuries restricted him
to just 39 appearances.
His comfort in two positions proved
to be a bonus for City as injuries and
suspensions bit into the squad over a
gruelling 2008-09 season. Playing with
a toe injury for some of the time he was
one of only five Blues players to start
more than 30 Premier League games.
Place of birth: Uccle, Belgium
Multilingual and multi-talented,
Vincent was runner-up in the Blues
fans’ Player of the Season poll for
2008/09 before coming into his own
in 2009/10, switching from midfield to
his international position of centre-half
with aplomb.
Equally at home as a central defender
or defensive midfielder, the Belgian
international regular joined City from
Bundesliga side Hamburg SV in
August 2008.
He was Mark Hughes’ third signing
and made a hugely impressive debut
in August’s 3-0 victory over West
Ham United.
Before becoming a full international
he represented his country at Under
17, 18 and 21 levels, and played at the
Beijing Olympics.
24
The toe problem became serious
enough to warrant an operation in
the summer of 2009, which forced
Vincent out of the reckoning until the
autumn. Despite this setback and the
presence of several new signings,
some outstanding performances in
both midfield and central defence
persuaded first Mark Hughes and then
Roberto Mancini to make him a regular
starter.
He has since gone on to become one
of the world’s very best defenders after
playing an instrumental role as captain
in City’s title-winning campaign in
2011/12.
In 2011 and 2012, Vincent was named
in the Premier League Team of the
Year and earned the Premier League
Player of the Season award in 2012.
Vincent captained City to a second
Premier League title in 2013/14 and
was also a Capital One Cup winner as
City beat Sunderland 3-1 at Wembley.
He was captain for Belgium during the
2014 World Cup.
GAEL
CLICHY
ALEKSANDAR
KOLAROV
He understudied England’s Ashley
Cole for a couple of seasons, and
became the youngest player to win a
Premier League medal in 2004 at 18
years and 10 months. After Cole left for
Chelsea in 2006 he emerged as one of
the mainstays of Wenger’s side despite
being hampered with injuries.
In September 2007, after only one
season at OFK Beograd, Kolarov was
sold to Serie A giants Lazio where he
made an instant impression, scoring a
40-yard thunderbolt on his full debut
against Reggina.
During his career at Stadio Olimpico,
he became renowned for his longrange specials. He is versatile, too,
and can slot into midfield if necessary,
where his physical strength and
technique make him a useful option.
Place of birth: Belgrade, Serbia
Aleksandar Kolarov, nicknamed the
‘Serbian Roberto Carlos’, joined City
from Lazio in July 2010.
Despite playing at left-back, the
then-24 year-old Serb came with a
reputation for spectacular goals and
had been linked with a move to Real
Madrid before opting for the Blues.
Born in November 1985 in Belgrade,
Kolarov began his career in 2004 at
FK Cukaricki Stankom before moving
to OFK Beograd in 2006, both in his
homeland, Serbia.
Kolarov registered 82 appearances
in the Serbian SuperLiga and 82 with
Lazio in Serie A. He also picked up
valuable experience playing in the
Champions League during his time in
Italy.
Kolarov was capped twice during
Serbia’s 2010 World Cup qualifying
campaign, including an appearance in
the 1-0 victory over Germany, bringing
his total of international appearances
to 15 by the end of the tournament.
After claiming his first league title in
England in 2011/12, Kolarov made a
good start to the 2012/13 season with
a series of spectacular set-pieces in
the early months of the season.
Aleks won his second Premier
League title in 2013/14 and was also a
Capital One Cup winner as City beat
Sunderland 3-1 at Wembley.
Date of birth: 26 July 1985
Place of birth: Toulouse, France
Gael left The Emirates to join City in
July 2011, following in the footsteps
of four former Gunners - Kolo Toure,
Patrick Vieira, Emmanuel Adebayor
and Stuart Taylor.
The last remaining member of the
Arsenal ‘Invincibles’ squad that went
through the 2003-04 Premier League
season unbeaten in all 38 matches, he
arrived with a justified reputation as
one of the finest left-backs in Europe.
The Frenchman had played only 15
senior games for Cannes before he
was spotted by Arsène Wenger’s
scouting network in 2003 and signed
for the Gunners, making his debut on
the same night as Cesc Fabregas in a
League Cup tie with Rotherham.
25
His pace and speed of thought, allied
to an ability to get up and down the
pitch in the stamina-sapping environs
of the Premier League, made him
one of Arsenal’s most consistent
defenders, while his willingness to join
the attack brought a rare goal against
Stoke in November 2008. His second
and only other Arsenal strike was
against Leyton Orient in March 2011.
That Clichy is alive to play topflight football at all is a miracle, the
description of the surgeon after his
heart stopped for 15 seconds during a
seven-hour operation as a 15-year-old.
Gael’s emotional reaction to City’s titletriumph in 2011/12 was one of the most
memorable of many on the day as he
justified his decision to move to the
Sky Blues in his very first season.
Although the club’s attempts to
win silverware in 2012/13 ended in
disappointment, Clichy’s performances
offered some comfort as the Toulouseborn full-back impressed in nearly all of
his 28 Premier League starts.
Gael won his second Premier League
title in 2013/14 and was also a
MARTIN
DEMICHELIS
Bayern Munich soon swooped for his
services, taking the Justiniano
Posse-born man to the Bundesliga
where he stayed for most of his career.
At the Allianz Arena, Demichelis
initially struggled to make an impact
as a series of minor injuries limited his
involvement in the first-team.
However, that changed when Felix
Magath was appointed as Bayern
manager in 2004. He often fielded
Martin as a defensive midfielder over
the course of 75 appearances in two
seasons.
Date of birth: 20 December 1980
Place of birth: Justiniano Posse,
Argentina
Recognised as one of Europe’s most
solid and dependable centre-backs,
the Argentine international joined
compatriots Sergio Aguero and Pablo
Zabaleta in the City squad in the
summer of 2013.
Demichelis began his career at
River Plate and made his debut on 2
September 2001 in a game against
Estudiantes de La Plata. A year
into his spell as a first-teamer with
Los Millonarios, Manuel Pellegrini
was appointed manager at Estadio
Monumental and the defender
became a firm fans’ favourite as they
lifted the Argentine Primera División
title together.
In those two campaigns, Bayern
won back-to-back Bundesliga and
German cup doubles – two of four
that the Argentine would win during a
successful seven-year spell in Munich.
The next two doubles would arrive
under Jurgen Klinsmann and
Louis Van Gaal in 2008 and 2010
respectively, with Martin reverting back
to his more familiar role at the centre
of defence.
Under Van Gaal, Bayern reached
Martin’s only UEFA Champions League
final in 2009/10, though it would not be
an occasion for the defender to relish
as Jose Mourinho’s Inter defeated the
German side 2-0.
It was at this point that Demichelis
sought a new challenge and was
reunited with Pellegrini at Malaga.
The reunited pair achieved Champions
League qualification for the first time
in the club’s history in their first season
and Martin got them on their way
by scoring their first ever goal in the
competition in the play-off win over
Panathinaikos.
Malaga defied all expectations by
advancing from a group including
Milan, Anderlecht and Zenit and
proceeded to knock out Porto in the
round of 16.
In the quarter-finals Los Boqueneros
were desperately unfortunate to be
eliminated after a late and highly
controversial winning goal from
Borussia Dortmund.
After Pellegrini accepted the offer to
become Roberto Mancini’s successor
at City, Demichelis joined Atletico
Madrid as a free agent in July 2013.
Martin never made a first-team
appearance for Atleti, opting to join
his former boss in the English Premier
League – the latest stop in a
trophy-laden, nation-hopping career.
Martin won his first Premier League
Sunderland 3-1 at Wembley, all of
which contributed to his recall for
Argentina at the 2014 World Cup.
26
ELIAQUIM
MANGALA
JASON
DENAYER
He scored his first goal for the club in
the 6-0 UEFA Youth League win over
Bayern Munich at the start of October
and continued to shine throughout the
season, earning himself opportunities
to train with the first-team at
Carrington.
He made 31 league appearances
the following season and lifted the
Belgian Cup in one of the last of his
100 appearances for Standard Liege
during 2010/11.
Porto boss of the time Vitor Pereira
took him to Portugal at the end of that
campaign and the defender went on
to feature against City in the Europa
League in his first season with his new
club.
Date of birth: 13 February 1991
Place of birth: Colombes, France
Eliaquim Mangala became City’s
sixth signing of summer 2014.
Mangala is recognised as one of the
continent’s most promising young
defenders, equally acclaimed for his
tenacious tackling, positional sense
and ability to play out from deep.
The French defender left his
hometown club Namur’s youth
academy and started his senior
career at Standard Liege, making his
professional debut in November 2008.
His second season saw him
become a regular starter, making 39
appearances in all competitions and
scoring seven goals. The Frenchman
won the Portuguese championship
twice, in 2011/12 and 2012/13.
In total, Eliaquim represented FC
Porto on 92 occasions, including 42
appearances in 2013/14.
Despite interest from the Belgian
FA, Eliaquim chose to represent the
country of his birth and made his
debut for France u21s in a friendly
match against Tunisia in 2009.
He went on to take his senior bow on 5
June 2013 in a 1-0 defeat to Uruguay in
Montevideo.
Mangala was included in Didier
Deschamps’ squad for the 2014 World
Cup in Brazil but didn’t add to his three
international caps.
A Belgian youth international, the
ambitious Denayer was nominated
for the EDS Player of the Year award
after a fantastic 2013/14 campaign and
joined Celtic on a season-long loan on
12 August 2014.
Date of birth: 28 June 1995
Place of birth: Jette, Brussels,
Belgium
In his short time at City, Belgian centre
half Jason Denayer has proved himself
to be a classy operator on the ball and
an excellent reader of the game at the
heart of the back four.
The 19-year-old struck up an excellent
partnership with Shay Facey in
defence throughout the 2013/14
season as the boy Blues went deep
into four competitions at home and
abroad.
Mangala went on to win silverware in
his first season as a pro, making 11
appearances to help Standard to the
2008/09 Belgian Pro League crown.
27
Denayer made 44 appearances in
all competitions for Celtic in 2014/15
where he claimed the SPL Young
Player of the Year award, as well as the
club’s own Young Player of the Year
award.
Jason made his first senior
international start for Belgium against
France in the Stade de France on on
Sunday 7 June 2015, just three months
after his debut off the bench in the
Euro 2016 qualifier against Israel.
The then-19-year old didn’t just feature
against France but earned rave reviews
for a performance which belied his
modest years, earning praise from
his international manager and his
skipper for club and country, Vincent
Kompany.
BACARY
SAGNA
An athletic, powerful full-back with
an eye for an accurate cross, Sagna
started his career at Auxerre where
he came through the youth system
to become one of Ligue 1’s most
consistent defenders.
PABLO
ZABALETA
home defeat to Chelsea on September
13. He proved versatile and durable,
winning admirers amongst City fans
who voted him into third place in their
Player of the Season poll. He notched
his first goal for the club in the 1-0 win
over Wigan in January, 2009 and his
second came 22 months later against
Fulham, helping to condemn his former
City boss to defeat with a spectacular
long-range strike.
He played 121 games for the French
outfit and was named in the Ligue 1
Team of the Season in his final year
there before the Barclays Premier
League came calling.
Wenger paid a fee thought to be in
the region of £7m to take Sagna to the
Emirates Stadium on 12 July 2007.
Seven sterling years of service
followed – a time in which the defender
became a firm fans’ favourite, thanks
to his dependable and committed
performances.
Date of birth: 14 February 1983
Place of birth: Sens, France
City’s signing of French international
right-back Bacary Sagna was
confirmed by the club on 13 June
2014. He officially joined from Arsenal
on 1 July, signing a three-year
contract.
Sagna brought with him extensive
Premier League experience, having
spent eight years at the Emirates
Stadium, appearing on 213 occasions
in the league for Arsene Wenger’s side.
During his time in North London,
Bacary won the FA Cup last season
and was named in the PFA Premier
League Team of the Year twice - in
2007/08 and 2010/11.
In all competitions, he played 284
games for the Gunners, scored five
times and assisted 22 goals.
He also showed his versatility in North
London, stepping in to play centreback with distinction a couple of times
when injuries demanded it.
Bacary could have represented
Senegal at international level but when
he accepted a call-up to France under21s, he declared for the nation of his
birth.
He appeared on 12 occasions for the
under-21s, a number which includes
four games in France’s run to the u21
European Championship semi-finals
in 2006.
Sagna’s first senior international callup arrived for a friendly match away at
Slovakia on 22 August 2007.
Then-24-years old, Barcary came on
as a second-half substitute in the 1-0
win and he’s since gone to appear at
the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups.
He missed out on Euro 2012 with a
broken leg.
Date of birth: 16 January 1985
Place of birth: Buenos Aires,
Argentina
An Olympic gold medal winner,
Zabaleta has proved adept at both
right back and in central midfield.
He had been part of the Argentina
international youth set up from the age
of 14 before standing on the podium at
the Beijing Games.
After captaining his country to victory
in the 2005 Under 20 World Cup,
Pablo crossed the Atlantic and joined
Espanyol, helping the La Liga outfit to
reach the 2007 UEFA Cup final, where
they lost out on penalties to Sevilla.
Mark Hughes brought him to
Manchester in August, 2008 and he
made his debut for the Blues in the
28
In all he made 39 starts in his first
season in English football, and in the
following campaign his versatility saw
him cement his place as an invaluable
member of the squad. He made his
100th appearance against Blackpool
on January 1, 2011.
Surprisingly, Argentina coach Diego
Maradona did not elect to take him
to the 2010 World Cup, but Pablo’s
wholehearted displays and committed
tackling have seen him become a firm
favourite with City’s fans.
He scored the opening goal on that
dramatic final day win over QPR in
2011/12 on the way to his first Premier
League winner’s medal and followed
that up by winning the Etihad Player
of the Season award at City Live in
August 2013.
Pablo, who reached the final of the
2014 World Cup with Argentina at
the 2014, won his second Premier
MIDFIELDERS
FERNANDINHO
in UAE, scoring the winning goal in
the final against a Spain side which
included Andres Iniesta.
This star turn and his performances
for Paranaense alerted Shakhtar who
recruited the 20-year old to join a
growing stable of Brazilians at the club.
His break-out season was the 2007/08
campaign where he announced
himself to the European stage with
a series of fine performances in
Shakhtar’s run to the Ukrainian Cup,
scoring 11 goals and winning the
Ukrainian league’s Golden Football
award for best player.
He was an integral member of the
team that clinched the 2008/09
UEFA Cup, scoring four goals in nine
appearances.
Place of birth: Londrina, Brazil
Brazil international, Fernando Luiz
Rosa arrived into Manchester
with extensive experience of
the Champions League, having
appeared for Shakhtar Donetsk in the
tournament for eight seasons.
Although he would be primarily
described as a defensive midfielder,
the 5ft 9 twinkle-toed midfield also
possesses a rocket of a shot which
has helped him towards his 68
career goals.
Fernandinho came up through the
youth ranks at Atletico Paranaense
in his Brazilian homeland, making his
debut in 2002 as a 17-year old.
In 2003, he went on to feature
in Brazil’s FIFA World Youth
Championship title-winning side
29
A Brazil debut finally came in a 3-2
friendly defeat to Germany in Stuttgart.
Lining up alongside ex-City playmaker
Robinho as well as Barcelona duo
Neymar and Daniel Alves, Fernandinho
played 70 minutes of that tie.
At Shakhtar he won the Ukrainian
league title four times and the Brazilian
began the 2012/13 campaign by lifting
the Ukrainian Super Cup.
He scored the winner in a 2-1
Champions League group stage
win over Chelsea – one of five goals
he netted in his last campaign with
Shakhtar. He arrived at City with an
impressive collection of medals that
includes six Ukrainian titles, four
Ukrainian Cups, three Ukrainian Super
Cups and one UEFA Cup.
He added the Premier League title
in 2013/14 and a Capital One Cup
winner as City beat Sunderland 3-1 at
Wembley.
He deservedly won a recall to the
national team in time for the 2014
World Cup.
SAMIR
NASRI
MARCOS
LOPES
He joined Arsenal in the summer of
2008 after appearing for France at that
year’s European Championships.
“Rony”, as he is affectionately known,
joined City from Benfica in 2011 and
became the Club’s youngest-ever
scorer on in the FA Cup third round win
over Watford in January 2013.
Samir made a fine start to his career
at the Emirates Stadium when he
scored on his Barclays Premier League
debut, against West Brom in Arsenal’s
opening match of the 2008/09 season.
Lopes was called up for the first team
on their pre-season tour of Austria and
the Far East, impressing the coaching
staff with his direct dribbling and
willingness to fire shots at goal.
His first year in England saw him make
44 appearances, scoring seven goals,
but a broken leg sustained in preseason forced him to the side-lines for
the start of the following campaign.
He was a regular for City EDS in
2012/13 and went on to claim the
inaugural Academy Player of the Year
award for the season, winning a
public vote.
Place of birth: Belem, Brazil
The Portuguese forward represented
his country at the Euro u19
Championships in Lithuania in July
2013 and scored a beautiful goal
against the hosts in a 4-2 win.
He made four domestic cup
appearances for City in 2013/14,
including a man of the match winning
display away at West Ham United in
the semi-final of the Capital One Cup,
which helped him towards his first
senior medal.
Marcos was nominated for the EDS
Player of the Year award after 29
appearances and 13 goals for Patrick
Vieira’s side and he joined Lille on
loan for the 2014/15 season where he
enjoyed a successful spell in Ligue 1.
Place of birth: Marseille
Samir Nasri joined City from Arsenal
in August 2011. Born and brought
up in Marseille, Samir joined his
hometown team at the age of nine
and rose through their youth system
before making his senior debut aged
17.
His relatively tender years were
no barrier to Samir and he quickly
established himself in the Marseille
first team, playing in a central role
behind two strikers.
He was named as Ligue 1’s Young
Player of the Year 2006/07, and he
made his senior international debut
against Austria in March 2007 after
playing for France at a succession
of youth levels.
30
He nevertheless bounced back
from this blow to make over 30
appearances once fully fit, including a
further five goals.
The upward curve of his career
continued into 2010/11, where he
bagged 15 goals in all competitions
and underlined his status as one of
Arsenal’s major creative threats.
Equally capable either out wide or in
the middle, Samir was named as the
French Player of the Year for 2010.
He won the Premier League title in his
first season at City, scoring one of the
most crucial goals of the season in the
2-1 victory over Chelsea in March.
Samir has made an excellent start to
the 2013/14 season, forcing his way
back into the reckoning for his national
team.
Samir won his second Premier
JESUS
NAVAS
DAVID
SILVA
a key role in Spain’s 2008 European
Championship success, including a
semi-final goal against Russia.
The 27-year-old can boast an extensive
medal collection, winning two UEFA
Cups, a UEFA Super Cup, two Copa
del Rey titles and the Spanish Super
Cup during his time at Sevilla. He
also boasts World Cup and European
Championship medals with Spain.
He came to prominence when
Valencia loaned him to top-flight side
Celta Vigo for the 2005-06 season and
he hit four goals in 31 games to help
clinch a UEFA Cup spot.
After joining Sevilla’s youth system
at the age of 15, he was handed his
senior debut just two years later –
coming off the bench against Espanyol
in November 2003. A sprinkling of
first team appearances followed that
season, alongside a regular place for
Sevilla B in Spain’s third tier.
Place of birth: Los Palacios, Spain
Spanish winger Jesus Navas
completed his move to City from
Sevilla in June 2013, after thrilling
crowds for ten years at the Ramon
Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium.
Electric pace, a keen desire to take
on defenders and a bagful of tricks
made him an exciting prospect. The
diminutive winger created 76 chances
for his teammates during the 2012/13
league campaign, which was the fifth
highest total in La Liga.
The youngster earned promotion to
the first team the following season and
chalked up 393 appearances for his
home town club, scoring 34 goals.
Clubs across Europe were finally
alerted to his many talents during the
2006 UEFA Cup campaign, when
the winger played in all 12 of Sevilla’s
matches on the road to lifting the
trophy.
Navas has played 23 times for his
country including an appearance from
the bench in the 2010 World Cup final.
Jesus won his first Premier League title
in 2013/14 and was also a Capital One
Cup winner as City beat Sunderland
3-1 at Wembley.
Place of birth: Arguineguin, Spain
David Silva must have felt at home
straight away at the City of Manchester
Stadium, having conjured the winning
goal on his previous visit.
David’s exploits earned him a sevenyear contract and he made more
than 140 appearances for Valencia,
scoring 20 goals, before deciding to
join City. He quickly adjusted to the
demands of English football, with a
brilliant individual goal at Bloomfield
Road helping him win City’s player of
the month award for October. More
influential performances saw him
scoop the same prize in the following
month.
Since joining City he’s gone on to
become one of the world’s best
midfielders, helping his country to the
Euro 2012 prize.
The Spanish international had happy
memories of the Etihad even before
joining the Blues after scoring for
Valencia in a pre-season opener
against City in 2007.
He has Premier League and FA
Cup winner’s medals in his bulging
collection, as well as individual honours
which include a place in the 2012 PFA
Premier League Team of the Year and
the City Player of the Year Award for
the same season.
He was joint top scorer with four
goals in the 2005 FIFA World Youth
Championships, helping Spain to
reach the quarter-finals, and made his
senior debut in November 2006.
He was again at his sparkling best as
City won the Premier League title in
2013/14 and was also a Capital One
Cup winner as City beat Sunderland
3-1 at Wembley.
David scored his first goals in a 3-2
win over Greece in 2007 and played
Silva was part of the Spain squad who
were surprisingly eliminated at the
group stages of the 2014 World Cup.
31
YAYA
TOURE
Place of birth: Sekoura Bouake,
Cote d’Ivoire
Yaya Toure’s decision to join centrehalf Kolo at the club meant they
became the first brothers to play for
City since Shaun and Bradley WrightPhillips.
Standing at 6ft 2in, the 27-year-old
was a popular figure among Barcelona
fans and had attracted interest from
a number of top clubs in the Premier
League and around Europe.
Yaya began his career as a youth with
Ivorian side ASEC Mimosas in 1996
before he moved to Beveren aged 18
in 2001, spending two full seasons
with the Belgian side before joining
Ukrainian side Metalurg Donetsk
in 2003.
After further spells with Olympiakos
and Monaco enhanced his reputation
yet further, Yaya became the first
Ivorian to join Barcelona, in 2007.
FERNANDO
In 2009, he won the Champions
League with the Catalans as an
emergency centre-half and he
celebrated his second successive La
Liga title during 2009/10 before jetting
off to South Africa – to represent his
country at a second World Cup.
Snapped up by Porto two years
and 57 league appearances later, he
was immediately loaned out for the
following season to fellow Primeira Liga
outfit, C.F. Estrala Amadora.
Toure not only won the Champions
League and FIFA Club World Cup, but
also claimed the La Liga title twice and
lifted both the UEFA Super Cup and
the Copa del Rey.
Swiftly adapting to European football,
Fernando missed just four games
all season and instantly established
himself as one of the first names on
the teamsheet.
Yaya wore the No.24 shirt for Barca in
honour of one of his boyhood idols,
Patrick Vieira, but happily decided to
wear 42 at City given that his preferred
number was already occupied by his
hero!
Upon his return to Porto, he was
immediately placed into the firstteam at Estádio do Dragão, where
he was a regular starter alongside
Lucho González and Raul Meireles,
helping the Portistas to a league and
Portuguese Cup double in his first
season.
He kept the 42 shirt during 2011/12 but
the man who scored the winning goals
in the 2010/11 FA Cup semi-final and
final lost nothing of his happy knack
for making key contributions at crucial
moments, coming up with a brace
against Newcastle in City’s penultimate
game of the season to put Mancini’s
men within touching distance of the
league crown.
Yaya limped out of the final match of
the season against QPR before halftime but was seen right in the thick of
the celebrations after the game - just
rewards for one of City’s most reliable
performers.
Yaya had his best season in sky blue
in 2013/14 when he scored 24 goals,
was voted third in the PFA Player of
the Year and won his second Premier
League title. He also lifted the Capital
One Cup and scored a crucial goal as
City beat Sunderland 3-1 at Wembley.
Date of birth: 25 July 1987
Place of birth: Alto Paraiso, Brazil
Fernando Francisco Reges arrived
at the Etihad Stadium from Porto
after lifting four Primeira Liga trophies
during his seven year career at the
Estadio do Dragao.
A quick, rangy and explosive
midfielder, Fernando was recognised
for his ability to anticipate and break
up opposition attacks, and play the
first pass out of the defensive third.
He began his career in his homeland
with Vila Nova Futebol Clube in
the third tier of the Brazilian league
pyramid where he made his
professional debut in 2005.
32
The Brazilian clocked up more than
3,000 minutes the following season
as Porto claimed a league, cup and
Europa League treble under Andre
Villas Boas.
Fernando started 14 times in the
Europa League that season, including
the final in Dublin against Braga. He
would end the following season by
again lifting the Portuguese league
trophy – a feat he repeated for the
fourth time 12 months later.
Virtually ever-present during the
2013/14 campaign, the midfielder
missed just five league games all
season and played every minute of the
Portuguese side’s Champions League
campaign.
BRUNO
ZUCULINI
Bruno Zuculini completed his move
to City in August 2014. The highly
rated 21-year-old Argentina Under-20
international joined from Racing Club,
having made 92 appearances and
scoring 10 goals.
He spent pre-season with City during
the pre-season tours of Scotland
and the USA, and impressed in
midfield during the games for Manuel
Pellegrini’s side, scoring in the friendly
against Kansas City.
Place of birth: Belén de Escobar,
Argentina
The midfielder, whose brother Franco
has won one full cap for Argentina, is
viewed as one for the future and spent
time on loan at both Valencia and
Cordoba during the 2014/15 season.
33
STRIKERS
WILFRIED
BONY
Born in Bingerville he played street
football from a young age in the
Brazilian style of ‘Maracana’ before
joining the Cyrille Domoraud Academy.
He signed his first professional
contract with Issia Wazi in the Côte
d’Ivoire’s Premier Division and
remained at the club until Sparta
Prague B signed him on loan in 2007.
Place of birth: Bingerville, Cote
D’Ivoire
Wilfried Bony signed for City on 14
January 2015. The 26-year-old joined
Manuel Pellegrini’s side, having caught
the eye with an impressive goalscoring
record for fellow Premier League
outfit Swansea City since his arrival in
England’s top flight in 2013.
The Ivorian netted 25 goals for the
Welsh club in 54 appearances , with
three of those 25 strikes coming
against City in just two meetings.
Hailed as one of the most naturally
gifted forwards around, the forward
was quickly targeted as the perfect
solution to the Blues’ striker shortage.
34
Having impressed at ‘B level’ for
his part in securing the Bohemian
Football League championship, he was
rewarded with a full contract with the
first-team and went on to net 22 goals
in 59 games, prompting Vitesse to
snap him up in 2011.
He enjoyed another fruitful period with
the Dutch side, ending the 2012-13
season as the Eredivisie’s top scorer,
clinching the league’s Golden Shoe
award and consequently attracting
Swansea’s interest.
At international level, Bony has made
42 appearances for the Ivory Coast
since making his senior debut in 2010,
scoring 14 times.
SERGIO
AGUERO
His excellent club form was rewarded
with a first senior cap in September
2006 and a year later, Aguero starred
as the outstanding player of the 2007
Under-20 World Cup. Winner of both
the Golden Boot and Golden Ball
awards, ‘El Kun’ scored six goals in
seven games to clinch successive
Under-20 World titles.
Aguero continued to thrive at Atletico
and following the departure of Torres
to Liverpool, was partnered with
Uruguayan striker Diego Forlan ahead
of the 2007/08 campaign.
Place of birth: Quilma, Argentina
Following Gael Clichy and Stefan Savic
into the club, Sergio Aguero’s arrival at
City was completed on 28 July 2011 as
the club’s third signing of the summer.
The Argentine striker’s professional
career started in July 2003 when, aged
just 15 years and 13 days, he made his
debut for Independiente, becoming
the youngest debutant in the Argentine
Premier League - a record previously
held by the man who became his
father-in-law, none other than
Diego Maradona.
Aguero won the Under-20 World
Cup with Argentina in 2005, before
combining with Fernando Torres at
Atletico Madrid the following year.
The duo led Atletico to Champions
League qualification for the first time
in a decade and Aguero was named
La Liga’s best foreign player in 2008 –
the only time in four years that Lionel
Messi was not awarded the honour –
before landing an Olympic gold medal
with Argentina that summer.
The 2009/10 season proved even
more fruitful for Aguero as Atletico won
the Europa League – from which UEFA
Super Cup success followed - and
were only narrowly beaten in the Copa
del Rey final.
Appearances at the 2010 World Cup
and 2011 Copa America established
Aguero as a permanent fixture in
the national side and his arrival at
the Etihad Stadium broke the club’s
transfer record.
He didn’t take long to announce
himself as one of the world’s deadliest
strikers at City, scoring twice on his
debut against Swansea in the first
Premier League fixture of 2011/12,
including one strike from 30 yards
which had City supporters salivating
over what was to come.
He reached the World Cup final with
Argentina in 2014, before reaching
his highest ever goal-scoring tally the
following season for the Blues.
Aguero scored 30 goals in his debut
season at the Etihad Stadium,
becoming the first player to achieve
this feat in the top flight since Francis
Lee in 1971/72.
The striker scored 31 goals in all
competitions with 26 of those coming
in the Premier League, leading to
Sergio being presented the Golden
Boot award.
Sergio’s place in Manchester City
history was secured when he ended
the club’s 44-year Premier League title
wait with his goal in the 94th minute
against QPR on the final day of the
2011/12 season.
Although injuries took their toll on
Sergio’s second season at the club, the
Quilmes-born hitman did still manage
to weigh in with a respectable 12
Premier League goals in the 2012/13
campaign, including a header in the FA
Cup semi-final against Chelsea which
put the Sky Blues into the final.
Aguero hit the ground running in
2013/14 with four goals in his first six
Premier League games - including a
brace against Manchester United in
the stunning 4-1 win.
The opening goal in that
comprehensive win was his 50th goal
for the club. He bagged 28 goals in
2013/14 campaign and also won his
second Premier League title in 2013/14
and was also a Capital One Cup
winner as City beat Sunderland 3-1 at
Wembley.
35
EDIN
DZEKO
Now regarded as one of the best
strikers in Europe, he actually began
his playing career at local side FK
Zeljeznicar as a midfielder. But when
he moved to FK Teplice in the Czech
league, Dzeko finished top scorer for
the 2006-07 season with 13 goals from
30 appearances.
He moved to Bundesliga side
Wolfsburg in the summer of 2007
for €4million and made an immediate
impact with five goals in 11 games,
helping the club to fifth place and a
UEFA Cup spot.
Date of birth: 17 March 1986
Place of birth: Sarajevo,
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Edin Dzeko became Roberto Mancini’s
ninth signing when the Bosnian striker
moved to the City of Manchester
Stadium from Wolfsburg on a five-year
deal in January, 2011.
Dzeko, who has scored 10 goals for
Wolfsburg in 17 Bundesliga matches
this season, was a target for some of
Europe’s leading clubs. His signing
was seen as a significant statement of
intent for City’s League title ambitions.
Dzeko was born on March 17, 1986 in
Sarajevo, a city in turmoil and under
siege during the break-up of the old
Yugoslavia, when Edin was only six.
But his second season was
exceptional. Dzeko formed a potent
partnership with Brazilian Grafite,
scoring 26 out of the duo’s recordbreaking 54 goals as Wolfsburg won
their first league title.
A further 10 goals in domestic and
European cup competitions clinched
the 2008-09 German Footballer of
the Year award. Dzeko was also
nominated for the 2009 Ballon d’Or,
won by Lionel Messi.
The striker, who was made a UNICEF
ambassador in November 2009,
became the highest League scorer
in Wolfsburg’s history. He scored 66
goals in 111 Bundesliga matches and
84 times in all competitions.
Dzeko has represented Bosnia and
Herzegovina at all levels, impressing
on his senior debut with a volleyed
goal in a 2-2 draw against Turkey
in June 2008, and has gone on to
score 17 times in his 31 international
appearances.
While he just missed out on the
World Cup finals in 2010 - Bosnia
and Herzegovina lost in the play-offs
to Portugal - Dzeko still finished the
qualifying campaign as joint secondtop scorer with nine goals.
Once his move from Wolfsburg to City
was completed, it did not take Dzeko
long to look at home in English football.
He linked up superbly with Carlos
Tevez to set up Yaya Toure’s goal in his
first game for City, an exciting win over
Wolves, before opening his account
for the Blues in just his third outing to
salvage a draw with Notts County in
the FA Cup.
Edin couldn’t have started 2011/12
better, scoring City’s first goal of the
season, a tap-in against Swansea
before going on to bag a four goal
haul against Spurs in one of the finest
City striker’s performances in recent
memory.
Dzeko went on to weigh in with a
vital 14 goals in 30 appearances that
season, including the 92nd minute
equaliser against QPR on the final day
which sent City on their way to the title.
In 2012/13, Dzeko was City’s
top-scorer with 15 goals in 44
appearances.
Edin scored 26 goals during City’s
second title-winning season of 2013/14
and was also a Capital One Cup
winner as City beat Sunderland 3-1
at Wembley, as well as representing
Bosnia at their first World Cup finals
in 2014.
36
STEVAN
JOVETIC
His five seasons in Florence yielded 40
goals from 134 appearances, helping
his new employers to Champions
League qualification for the first time in
a decade, though a cruciate ligament
injury meant he missed the entire
2010/11 campaign.
In Europe, he has scored against
Liverpool and Bayern Munich during
Champions League matches, while he
also captained his country aged only
17 at Under-21 level after taking the
armband off his idol Marko Vucinic.
Place of birth: Podgorica,
Montenegro
Stevan Jovetic joined City from
Fiorentina in July 2013. The 23-yearold Montenegro international joined
the Blues after attracting the interest of
many of Europe’s top clubs.
He has since become a key
component of the senior
Montenegro side.
Former boss Dejan Savicevic once
commented: “He is utterly fearless
and I don’t see a limit to his potential.
Is he the new Savicevic? No, he can be
even better. He reminds me of Johan
Cruyff.”
Stevan won his first Premier League
Something of a teenage sensation
when he first broke into senior football
with Partizan Belgrade, he made club
history by captaining the team aged
only 17.
He scored 23 goals in 61 games for
the Serbian giants before moving to
Italy in 2008 for a fee in the region
of £8m, and spent three seasons
in Serie A with La Viola becoming
a firm favourite with the Fiorentina
supporters.
37
CITY ACADEMY
The Academy was set up in 1998 to provide
a strong and effective youth programme
aimed at the recruitment and development
of young footballers within Manchester City
Football Club.
Since then more than 30 young players
have emerged from the Academy to play
first-team football for Manchester City,
including the likes of Shaun Wright-Phillips,
Micah Richards and England striker Daniel
Sturridge.
In line with the Elite Player Performance
Plan, the Category 1 Academy prepares
players of the future for the Club and
enables them to progress both on and off
the field.
38
Based at the newly built City Football
Academy players aged 9-18 receive
structured coaching together with an
educational and welfare programme
throughout their time at the Club.
CITY IN THE
COMMUNITY
Community has always been at the heart of
Manchester City Football Club both at home
and abroad
As a club with roots firmly in the local
community, one of our key aims is to give
something back to those people, both
domestically and internationally, that have
supported us through the years.
In addition to this, we endeavour to engage
and interact with the various communities
we come into contact with all over the
world - from Africa to the Middle East and
North America.
Our health, coaching and education
programmes as well as our involvement
in the regeneration of East Manchester,
touches the lives of over 200,000 people
a year.
We hope our supporters across the globe
will enjoy learning about what we do and
will engage with us as our community work
develops and grows worldwide.
For over 29 years CITC has engaged
with people from all areas of Manchester,
showing the clubs’ commitment to
supporting its local communities.
39
ON
OUR
SIDE
Official Club Partners

MANCHESTER CITY FOOTBALL CLUB

Transcription

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