Manchester City owners eyeing to invest on a football team from India

New Delhi : With an aim to boost their global portfolio, Manchester City owners are now considering an idea to invest in a football team from India, chief executive Ferran Soriano said on Monday.

A fortnight ago City Football Group (CFG), bankrolled by Sheikh Mansour of the Abu Dhabi royal family, announced they had purchased a stake in Chinese third-tier club Sichuan Jiuniu. With this the total number of teams under the CFG banner has increased to seven.

The CFG currently owns or have stakes in New York City, Melbourne City, Japan's Yokohama F Marinos, Atletico Torque and Girona, as well as star side Manchester City.

"We have some interest in some markets and countries where there is a genuine football passion and opportunities, like China, but also India," Britain's Press Association quoted Soriano as saying.

"So there might be other opportunities in Asia.

"With all these developments we have to be patient. We've been looking at India for nearly two years now. I'd say this year we'll end up doing an investment in India," he added.