Multi-club ownership has become a hot topic in the world of football, with more and more teams operating under the same umbrella as others in recent years.
Perhaps the most wide-reaching and successful ownership project in football right now is the City Football Group (CFG), of which English giants Manchester City are the flagship club.
While CFG are arguably the most well-run multi-club system in the world, things did not quite go according to plan this season.
Man City came into the 2024/25 campaign on the back of four consecutive Premier League title successes, but they never looked like making it five-in-a-row.
A comprehensive 2-0 final-day victory against Fulham at Craven Cottage sealed a third-placed finish for Pep Guardiola’s men.
The fact that it’s their lowest placement since 2017 tells the story of their recent dominance, but ending the season without a major trophy for the first time in eight years leaves a bitter taste.
City bowed out of the Carabao Cup in the fourth round after losing 2-1 to Tottenham Hotspur and suffered a shock 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final.
That was their second consecutive Wembley Stadium heartbreak after losing the previous season’s final against arch-rivals Manchester United.
Things weren’t much better on the continental stage.
City failed to make it past the Champions League knockout phase play-off round after losing 6-3 on aggregate to Real Madrid.
City are not the only ones wobbling. Results across CFG’s network have been mixed at best, although they could still salvage some pride from their investment in Australia.
Read on as we look at how some of the top CFG clubs have fared this season.
Melbourne City
Unlike their CFG sister clubs, Melbourne City are on the cusp of domestic glory in Australia.
They have secured their place in the A-League Grand Final, where they will face Melbourne Victory in a historic Melbourne Derby showpiece.
City made light work of Western United in the play-offs, winning 4-1 on aggregate to book a place in the final for the fifth time in six seasons.
They will go into the showpiece as slight favourites with the bookmakers and will be backed by many Aussie punters given their solid form throughout the season.
The sportsbooks listed on AustralianBettingSites are already rolling out betting odds for the Grand Final and are poised for a flurry of wagering activity in the build-up to the game.
The reputable comparison platform for Aussie betting sites is great resource for bettors, offering them the chance to get detailed insights into a hugely competitive market.
Girona
Girona’s fall from grace in Spain has undoubtedly been one of the most puzzling stories of the 2024/25 campaign.
After four years in the abyss, the Catalan side returned to the Spanish top flight and immediately made a massive statement with a tenth-place finish.
However, barely anyone predicted their rise to stardom the following year.
Girona finished third in La Liga and qualified for the Champions League for the first time.
They were expected to build on their remarkable campaign, but it didn’t work out as planned and they only narrowly avoided relegation this season.
Girona wrapped up their woeful campaign with a 4-0 thrashing against Atletico Madrid, but their 41-point haul was just enough to preserve their top-flight status.
They a finished one point above the relegation zone and will need significant investment to make sure this season is a one-off.
Palermo
Palermo’s bid to return to Serie A for the first time in nearly a decade went down the drain after their gut-wrenching 1-0 defeat against Juve Stabia in the Serie B promotion play-offs.
The Italian outfit haven’t tasted top-flight football since they dropped into Serie B in 2016/17.
They have been languishing in the lower leagues with barely any light at the end of the tunnel since then.
This was supposed to be the year that they were rewarded for all their hard work. It looked like the stars were aligning in their favour when they pipped Bari to the final play-off spot.
However, they hardly put up a fight in the play-offs as their journey ended at the first hurdle.
It was a bitter end for the CFG side, but they must build on their eight-placed finish and give it another shot next season.
Picture credit: Tom Flathers/Manchester City FC via Getty Images
Join the discussion