Auckland is set to become the second New Zealand city to have a professional football club in the A-League, after American sports investor Bill Foley secured a licence for the 2024-25 season. Foley, who is the chairman of English Premier League club Bournemouth and has a stake in French Ligue 1 club FC Lorient, will lead a consortium of local and international partners to establish a new men’s and women’s team in Auckland.
The Australian Professional Leagues (APL), which runs the A-League, announced Foley as the preferred bidder for the Auckland expansion, ahead of other candidates from Tasmania and Darwin. The APL said Foley’s bid was chosen for his commitment to excellence, passion for Auckland, and direct elite football experience.
Foley said he was excited to bring professional football to Auckland, the largest city in Australia and New Zealand without a team in the A-League. He said he would look to build a winning organisation that would serve the community and grow the sport at all levels.
“We will look to strengthen this connection even further by acquiring an A-League expansion license in Auckland, which will allow us to establish both a men’s and women’s club in the city,” Foley said. “Black Knight Football Club operates with a commitment to excellence on and off the pitch. Our goal will be to build a winning organisation while simultaneously serving the community and growing the sport — and passion for the sport — at all levels.”
The Auckland club will join Wellington Phoenix as the second New Zealand team in the A-League, which currently has 12 clubs from Australia. The APL said the expansion was part of its vision to take the A-League to as many people as possible, and to provide more opportunities for men and women to play professional football.
The APL also said it would work with Football Australia, the Asian Football Confederation, the Oceania Football Confederation, and New Zealand Football to ensure the necessary regulatory approvals and endorsements for the Auckland club.
The licence approval is expected to be finalised by the end of October, with the new club to start playing in the 2024-25 season.
