The partnership of the Yankees and Manchester City joins two of the world’s richest teams, buying an MLS expansion team called New York City FC. There is no doubt the Bombers know the city and Manchester City knows the game, but the marriage leaves a host of questions unanswered, both athletic and ethical.
* Will Manchester City and the big-spending Bombers be able to build a winner in the salary-cap MLS?
* Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour is a member of the royal family in Abu Dhabi — an emirate with a notoriously poor human rights record. Will the league be judged by the company it keeps?
* And where will this team play if community backlash — much of it against Sheikh Mansour — nixes its proposed stadium in Queens?
While part of the backlash is against New York City FC building on 13 acres of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, part is due to the United Arab Emirates outlawing gays.
But it is no coincidence the MLS sees its deals with ESPN, NBC Sports and Univision which all expire after next year, and will welcome NYCFC in 2015. And after the Yanks and Manchester City forked over a $100 million franchise fee, MLS handed over the responsibility of finding a home.
Levine, Yankee managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner and MLS commissioner Don Garber all told The Post they had not spoken to Mansour. Now Levine, Manchester City CEO Ferran Soriano and NYCFC director of football Claudio Reyna must either close the deal in Queens or look elsewhere.
Mayor Bloomberg confirmed the plan would require use of the Mets’ parking lot at Citi Field, and Garber said New York City FC plans to spend $50 million to improve the park. But if they can’t get the go-ahead, Pier 40 could be back in play.
Reyna, who played at Manchester City and St. Benedict’s in Newark, said in the interim NYCFC could play at Yankee Stadium or even Citi Field.
“We need to find a home, and that possibly could be either Yankee Stadium or Citi Field. We still haven’t figured that out,’’ Reyna said.