City Football Group’s role in the administration of Bahia was the subject of evaluation by businesswoman Rafaela Pimenta, representative of striker Erling Haaland. In an interview with journalist Fred Caldeira, from TNT Sports Brasil, released last Monday (22), she commented on the management model adopted by the group at the Bahian club.
According to Rafaela, the management of Bahia by the City Group stands out for its definition of command and planning. The businesswoman cited the direct participation of Ferran Soriano, CEO of City Football Group, as one of the points of the administrative process.
“If you take the City Group in Bahia, the work they are doing is incredible. Why is it incredible? Because it has an owner, it has guidance and it has a path. City’s CEO leaves Manchester every month and goes to Bahia, he will see with his own eyes what is happening. The business can only work. And, when it works, it is good for the club, for the player and for the fans”, he stated.
In the sports field, Bahia began to present different results since the beginning of Grupo City’s management, in 2023. That year, the club remained in Series A of the Brazilian Championship after the arrival of coach Rogério Ceni.
In 2024, Tricolor secured qualification for the Copa Libertadores after more than two decades. In 2025, the club once again secured a place in the continental tournament, reaching the classification consecutively for the first time.
To date, the Steel Squadron has assembled an increasingly competitive squad within its sporting reality. Among the main names in the project, Everton Ribeiro, Caio Alexandre, Jean Lucas, Luciano Juba, Willian José and other players arrived. Jean and Juba were even called up this year by coach Carlo Ancelotti to serve for the Brazilian team.
