How excited are you for this summer's Club World Cup and the new format? A brand new version of the Club World Cup. Where do you think that can go?
Well, as the defending champions coming into this new format, of course, we're very excited. We're very excited to come in as champions. The format actually, I really like it. This is a very, very serious competition. I think in the summer the whole world will be watching this. A big number of the top teams in the world will be competing in this tournament. And I can assure you, we're going to give it our best shot. We're going in there to win it. We're going to go in to try to win this tournament. This is the beginning of the new season, not the continuation of last season. You know, we take some rest. The team will take the rest right now and then they start preseason and then immediately straight into the Club World Cup.
Maybe something that has surprised you this year is the situation with fans and ticket prices, availability. You've spoken, every time I've spoken to you, you have gone out of your way to say how much you value the loyalty and support of our fans. It's perhaps fair to say there might have been a slight disconnect this season around ticket prices. Is there anything you could you'd like to say on that?
Yes, I think this is a very important question. This has been a relationship built on trust between the fans and the club and that trust comes both ways. And I think this issue on ticketing is no doubt something that I'm not okay with the way it played out. I think the management team is working very closely with City Matters addressing and understanding the issues. That's key in solving any issues. You have to understand what the issues are and you have to really constructively speak and try to work it out. What I am sure about and I hope this message comes out loud and clear is that relationship of trust between the fans and the club is the foundation of the success and sustainability of this club and we know that and we appreciate that deeply. These conversations with City Matters and our fans will continue and we will try to find solutions always to address some of the challenges in a way that is fair for everyone. Some announcements have been made so far, but there's more to come. We're going to work hard. We're going to continue to work hard together to find the optimal solutions that work for everyone.
There is something we can talk about in terms of a new arrival that the Etihad had in terms of the stand. Not a player and I'm not trying to get to talk about players, but the stand, the topping out ceremony is taking place. How pleased are you? I mean you're regularly in Manchester so you must have had a look at it and how pleased are you?
It's coming up very fast, very, very fast. It's going to be a great addition to the campus. I think the stand, you will see, I think once we start the new season, I think everybody will start physically seeing it a lot clearer. The hotel is also coming up nicely. It's moving very, very fast. We're happy with the contractors on the ground. This is going to be a game changer. You will see over these next 12 to 18 months.
And in terms of Co-op Live, that seems to be going from strength to strength. I was only looking at the artists coming there yesterday. It's quite a list.
It's been a very, very successful I would say first year for the Co-op. It's exceeded all our expectations in terms of the number of events, obviously the success in terms of revenues and performances that have happened over there. And really, I think the regeneration it's helped the city of Manchester, it's been just an absolute win-win across the board.
And while we're talking about entertainment, Oasis are back together. And the collaboration last year was with Noel and the kit. I mean, that's something quite different. How did it come about? How do you think there'll be more of that sort of thing happening?
Yes. Well, listen here, I have to say Puma have been phenomenal. Really great partners to the club. Really love the creativity. I think that particular kit was superb. A huge hit. I think the fans love it. Noel was really brilliant in terms of his role in the creation of this kit. And I think you'll see a lot more of that. You'll see Puma, the Puma City Football Group partnership and particularly with Manchester City is getting more and more creative. I knew this was going to be it. There's no doubt. I mean the combination of Noel, Oasis, Puma, Manchester City, I mean the combination, I knew we were going to get it right.
The annual question. Chairman, we're 12 months on and we still not heard anything from the ongoing inquiry. Is there anything you can tell us about it?
Well I suppose the only thing I can say is that we still don't have a ruling. Once there's a ruling, I'll be able to speak about it and until then, we just have to be patient and it'll come and we'll talk about it. I promise you once we have the ruling. So, annual question and annual answer.
If we can just turn to CFG, quite a mixed bag across the group of teams as you would expect with any group of teams the size of the City Football Group is, but specific success in Brazil. Can you talk us through Bahia's exploits this year?
Yes, I mean it's a great story what's happened in Bahia taking a team from the second division in two years to go to the first division and to be competing in the equivalent of the Champions League in Latin America is a really amazing achievement. I think the Brazilian football league is going to become one of the premier leagues around the world. Obviously, the talent has always been there. But for whatever reason over these years, the league hadn't developed. Now it is. It's becoming very commercial. It's becoming big in terms of TV viewerships globally. And you're seeing these clubs now get better and better. And we're very lucky. I think we have a great team in Brazil. We've been part of that journey from the second division to the first and now back to competing at all levels. And the amount of talent that's coming out. I mean, just look at the value since we bought that team of just the squad has gone about 100x.
