The City Group, the owners behind Manchester City, have made their first foray into Belgian football with the purchase of Lommel SK.
Het Laatste Nieuws report that the group have purchased the Belgian side for free, although they have had to pay a €2m fee to cover debts at the club.
After purchasing Manchester City in 2008, the City Football Group was founded in 2014 as those behind the scenes at the Eithad looked to spread their influence around the world.
Since then they have taken over clubs on every continent, with New York City FC, Melbourne City FC, Yokohama, Montevideo, Girona, Sichuan Jiuniu and Mumbai City all in their portfolio.
The newspaper report that after covering a €2m hole in the club’s finances, which paid overdue salaries and covered ‘necessary bank guarantees’ of €1.65m to ensure the club’s continuity for next season, the takeover has been completed.
They have also been awarded their license to play in the second division next season, with a decision may by license manager Nils Van Brantegem in a five-minute meeting earlier today.
The club can now play for the future as part of the ever-expanding Manchester City family, with it likely youngsters will be winging their way from the Etihad sooner rather than later.
