MLS
New home puts New York City FC closer to Manchester City
The New York franchise will construct a new stadium in Queens. Today they announced the official name of the facility.
One of the franchises that remains alive in the 2024 Major League Soccer postseason is New York City FC , who this weekend will play the Eastern Conference semi-final against the New York Red Bulls, one of their bitter rivals.
An within that framework, this Thursday NYCFC announced an event that brings them much closer to Manchester City, their sister club .
What will NYCFC’s new stadium be called?
The New York organization announced in April of this year that they will open their official home by 2027, but today the name of the first specific soccer stadium in ‘The Big Apple’ was announced.
In an alliance similar to the one the English team has in the Premier League, The Pigeons and the airline Etihad Airways will now name the property that will be built in Queens as ‘Etihad Park’.
The agreement between NYCFC and the UAE-based company will last for 20 years, meaning that the club will be named after it for a long time to come.
CEO Brad Sims said: “This is a historic announcement for New York City FC, Etihad Airways and the city of New York. Etihad Airways has been a fantastic partner for over a decade and we are proud to call Etihad Park the home of our great club.
“For more than a decade, we have been investing in New York with a vision to make the city one of the world’s soccer capitals. Etihad Airways has been with us every step of the way and we are thrilled to make this announcement with them.
“Etihad Park will be the physical evidence of our deep and long-standing investment in New York City and will become a cathedral of soccer in the United States,” he added, praising this alliance, which now goes beyond sponsorship on the front of the team’s strip.
Etihad Park, a new chapter for Queens
NYCFC will face NYRB in the first edition of the ‘Hudson River Derby’ in the MLS Cup Playoffs, but they will do so at Citi Field, home of the New York Mets.
This venue is located in Willets Point, Queens, so the Pigeons are already familiar with what will be their new zone in New York territory. Unlike other times, this time they leave Yankee Stadium aside.
In the future, NYCFC will be hosting a different venue, with Sims commenting: “We look forward to Etihad Park becoming a hub for the community, hosting not only sporting events, but also concerts, festivals and community activities, fostering a sense of belonging and connection for all New Yorkers".