Auckland to enter A-Leagues from next season as US billionaire adds another sporting franchise

Auckland’s new A-League team has a kick-off date, a website and a general manager, but there is still no word on its name, colors or home ground.

The new billionaire-funded team will compete in the Men’s A-League competition next October and begin life in the Women’s A-League a year later, for the 2025-2026 competition.

Football leaders from Australia, including A-Leagues commissioner Nick Garcia, and New Zealand met in Auckland on Tuesday to formally hand over a license to the club’s American owner, Bill Foley.

Foley is a 78-year-old insurance and financial services mogul who has branched out into the sports world in recent years.

In 2016, he founded the Vegas Golden Knights NHL franchise and in 2022, he led a group of investors to purchase English Premier League team Bournemouth.

The Vegas Golden Knights joined the NHL in 2017 and won the Stanley Cup this year.(Getty Images: Jeff Bottari/NHLI)

Foley hopes to match or improve on the Golden Knights’ path to success, having reached the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season and winning the championship this year, their sixth season.

“Building a championship team from expansion has been my most exciting professional achievement, and I intend to do the same for New Zealand fans and in particular the North Island community.” , did he declare.

Foley has yet to name the team, but said the Black Knights was his preferred nickname during a New Zealand radio interview last month.

He owns a holding company called Black Knight Football Club.

If confirmed, the name would refer to both Foley’s preferred nomenclature, the ‘Knights’, and the club’s precursor to the A-Leagues: the Auckland-based New Zealand Knights, who folded after two seasons.

The new team is also missing other elements of the club’s DNA – colors, a crest, a kit, a training center and a match venue – although as of Tuesday it has a website : AKLFootball24.com.

The company also has its first employee: managing director Nick Becker, who previously worked in events and marketing roles with Manchester City and Melbourne City football clubs.

A-Leagues chairman Stephen Conroy said Foley was selected as the preferred owner because of his track record.

“In Bill Foley, we have a proven global sports investor and operator, with a history of deep community roots, a passion for football and a long-standing business and personal relationship with New Zealand,” he said. -he declares.

“We are delighted to welcome Bill and his team to the A-Leagues and look forward to seeing the club in action next year.”

PAA