The Bronx Bombers are teaming up with the owners of the English Premier League’s storied Manchester City FC to field Major League Soccer’s newest franchise.
MLS’ 20th team will be known as the New York City Football Club and begin play in 2015 at a temporary venue — possibly Yankee Stadium, the original home of the Cosmos — while seeking government approvals to build a permanent Big Apple home, potentially at Flushing-Meadows Park in Queens, league officials announced Tuesday.
“This is a transformational moment for Major League Soccer and soccer in America,” MLS commissioner Don Garber said in a conference call, adding that the Yankees-Manchester City partnership combines “two of the most respected brands in sports.”
The partnership is paying the league $100 million for the expansion NYCFC.
Manchester City is owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan, a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family. It will be the majority owner in the new team and run daily operations, while games could be aired on YES.
“It’s a powerhouse combination,” Mayor Michael Bloomberg said after the announcement.
Manchester City had long been the front-runners to land the new MLS team, but in recent weeks brought in the 27-time World Series champs to help tap into the Yankees’ local political connections and expertise in building a new sporting venue, particularly the new Yankee Stadium that opened in 2009.
“We’re good partners because we know New York City, we’ve been here for a long time, and we know how things work,” boasted Yankees president Randy Levine. He declined to say how much of an interest the Yankees will have, but it’s reported to be 20 to 25 percent.
Both teams were already business partners. Legends Hospitality, the Yankees’ stadium-concession business, provides services to Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium.
Levine, Garber and Manchester City CEO Ferran Soriano all reiterated their first choice is moving forward with a proposed $300 million, 25,000-seat stadium plan for Flushing-Meadows Park, but said they have no problem seeking alternative locations in the city. In truth, they may have to.
The Mets were long seen as viable owners for this club, until the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme scandal. For the stadium to be built at Flushing Meadows, the Mets would need to let NYCFC use Citi Field’s parking lots. The Mets had no comment yesterday.
Also, while Mayor Bloomberg sees the Queens stadium plan a legacy project, it has received mixed reactions from other pols and come under fire from local activists not only because it would mean the replacement of 13 acres of parkland, but based on Sheikh Mansour’s human rights record.
Sheikh Mansour’s brother rules Abu Dhabi, his personal wealth estimated at $30 billion and his family fortune reportedly roughly $1 trillion. But Abu Dhabi’s human rights record and ongoing illegality of homosexuality in the emirate have given the plans’ foes ammunition. The Fairness Coalition of Queens referred to Sheik Mansour as “a documented human rights abuser.”
“This is good news that the owners are finally starting to talk about alternate locations besides Flushing Meadows,” said Geoffrey Croft of NYC Park Advocates. “We have always felt the Queens stadium plan was dead on arrival.”
Levine was asked if the Yankees took any pleasure in partnering in a new team that could potentially play next to Citi Field, home of the cross-town rival Mets.
He said he has nothing but “respect” for the Mets and that Citi Field could just as easily be used as a temporary home for NYCFC as Yankee Stadium.
Regarding the partnership, Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said: “We look forward to the opportunity to work with Manchester City to create something very special for the soccer fans of New York — and to bringing another terrific team to this city for all sports fans to enjoy.”
Garber said he looks forward to an intense “cross-town rivalry” between NYCFC and the New York Red Bulls, who play in their own 25,000-seat stadium in Harrison, N.J., and are tied for the best record in MLS.
The Big Apple has not had a first division pro soccer team play within city limits since the Cosmos left Downing Stadium on Randall’s Island in 1977 to move to Giants Stadium. The recently revived Cosmos, who are in the second-tier North American Soccer League, will begin play this August.
brian.lewis@nypost.com