A consortium led by Manchester City have taken over Australian side Melbourne Heart - one of whose players is Maltese international Michael Mifsud.
City's chief executive Ferran Soriano said: "We are excited about the opportunity to make Melbourne Heart one of the most successful football clubs in Australia and throughout the region.
We believe the strong sports culture of Melbourne, combined with the football and commercial expertise within our consortium, will make for a powerful combination both on and off the pitch."
Heart are currently bottom of the 10-team A-League table.
Melbourne Heart chairman Peter Sidwell said: "The board feels that with the successful establishment and evolution of the club over the last four years, Melbourne Heart now stands on sound commercial and financial foundations."