It looks like City Football Group will add a 14th club to their ever-growing portfolio of soccer teams: A report from Turkey claims that the group bought a controlling interest in İstanbul Başakşehir Futbol Kulübü of Turkey’s Süper Lig.
CFG also own Manchester City, New York City FC, Girona FC, Palermo FC, and Esporte Clube Bahia, among others.
Founded in 1990, Başakşehir are one of eight clubs based around Istanbul to compete in the top-flight league. The club play in the Başakşehir Fatih Terim Stadyumu, a 17,000-seat stadium in a suburb northwest of central Istanbul. Başakşehir won the Süper Lig in 2020, and appeared in the UEFA Champions League on four occasions. Last year, the club advanced out of the Group Stage of the UEFA Europa Conference League only to lose to Belgian side KAA Gent in the Round of 16.
The news of the transaction was first reported by Turkish journalist Omer Necati Albayrak in the sports publication Fanatik.
Neither CFG nor Başakşehir have released statements regarding the sale. No details of the transaction have been made public.
CFG have been on a shopping spree. Earlier this year, they acquired Bahia for a reported $200 million. In July 2022, the group purchased a controlling interest in Palermo, now in Italy’s Serie B.
Historically, Başakşehir has maintained close ties with the ruling AK Party, which is chaired by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The club signed Mesut Özil in 2022. The former star for Arsenal and German national team made four appearances for Başakşehir before retiring in March of this year.
