It's Auckland FC - details of city's new A-League club revealed
Auckland’s new A-League football club Auckland FC will be known as the Black Knights and will wear a blue and black strip.
The details were released by the club today.
Auckland FC will join the A-League men’s competition for the beginning of the 2024-25 season in October 2024. New Zealand's other A-League franchise the Wellington Phoenix, formed in 2007, is currently second on the A-League table.
The season runs until May and includes a 26-round regular season followed by a finals series playoff, with 12 home games confirmed for Mt Smart Stadium.
Auckland FC will launch its A-League women’s team to play in the 2025-26 season early next year.
The club is backed by USA billionaire Bill Foley, who also owns Bournemouth AFC in England and the Golden Knights hockey franchise in Las Vegas.
In a recent interview with the NZ Herald, Foley said the Black Knights would initially be based at Mt Smart but that he would be looking to build a home stadium in the city with a capacity of about 17,500.
Auckland FC coach Steve Corica (Source: Photosport)
“What I love about football is that it has an incredible power to inspire anyone, no matter their age or background,” Foley said.
“We have a track record of building successful professional sports teams and just like we did in Las Vegas, I saw a unique opportunity to bring a new A-League football club with big ambitions to Auckland and take it to the world stage.”
“We can’t wait to get started, nurture talent, accelerate the pathway for promising players here and overseas, and showcase Auckland and its culture.”
Chief executive Nick Becker said: “We are building the elite professional team that Auckland deserves. We want to be successful on the pitch, and we want to create a club that represents Tāmaki Makaurau for generations to come.
“More Kiwis play football than any other sport and we have seen first-hand how much Auckland has embraced football. Today is just the beginning of a very exciting journey and we can’t wait to build the future together with our community and our fans.”
In a statement, the club said the team’s electric blue and black strip and crest represented the city.
“The club’s visual identity represents the city of Auckland throughout, from its primary colour - electric blue - building on Auckland’s traditional royal blue, to the crest.
“The newly revealed shield contains a graphic tribute to Rangitoto and Auckland’s iconic skyline, and with an ascending ‘A’ for Auckland in its centre. The Black Knight visor and the stripes in the badge link the crest to club founder Bill Foley and the teams that form part of the Black Knight Football Group.”
Head coach Steve Corica said: “I’m looking forward to helping build the club from the ground up, foster a strong attacking team known for their entertaining style of football, and attract some of the best talent to grow with the club. We’ll have some exciting player announcements to make from June 2024.”
