‘Our interest is to be hated’ – What Ferran Soriano said at Bahia presentation

It’s no secret that Manchester City’s owners last week made an offer of 1 billion reais (£174.9m) to buy Brazilian second division side Bahia.

CFG currently have 12 clubs in their current portfolio, including the likes of New York City, Melbourne City, Girona and Troyes.

Their most recent purchase was an 80% stake in Serie B club Palermo, but after buying a club in Italy they now have turn their attention to South America.

CFG are hoping to acquire a 90 per cent stake in the two-time Brazilian champions, with the bid said to also include an option to acquire a further 5 per cent of the club.

The bid for the Salvador-based side still needs the approval of club members, but should it be accepted Bahia will become the 13th club in the ever-expanding CFG portfolio.

CFG’s policy of acquiring major stakes in clubs across the globe is a controversial one. The network of teams provides City with a host of clubs they can draw sellable talents from, but critics see that as a form of footballing doping.

The local Brazilian press has claimed that Ferran Soriano, who held the meeting, asked for it not to be broadcasted by the Tricolor’s official channels. Still, many details were obviously leaked by the media.

According to Bahia council member Leandro Fernandes as relayed by Sport Witness, Soriano said ‘our interest is to be hated’, as they want the Brazilian club to feature among the biggest sides in the country and in South America.

It’s claimed that Ferran Soriano explained that all of Manchester City’s partners need to play a ‘beautiful game’ and fight for at least one title in every season. That’s something the Brazilian side are very excited about.

The report claims that the Brazilian club has been impressed with what was offered by the Manchester City owners and look clearly towards completing the deal. The bid, however, must now be approved by the club council and by fans before the takeover is official.