We have plenty of details to be filed in later, but for now we know that North Sixth Group and Chairman Matt Rizzetta, which hold investments in a pair of professional Italian clubs, have been awarded a Brooklyn USL League One franchise, launching in 2025.
The current branding for the team: Brooklyn Football Club.
North Sixth Group is a New York-based family office operating company that provides strategic services, operating expertise and capital to companies across the globe. North Sixth Group’s current holdings span the financial services, media, professional services, sports and entertainment, technology and wine and spirits sectors.
North Sixth Group and Chairman Matt Rizzetta hold investments in a pair of professional Italian clubs in second-division Ascoli Calcio 1898 FC (Serie B) and fourth-division Campobasso Football Club (Serie D), a team where celebrities Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos are investors. North Sixth Group acquired an ownership interest in Ascoli in 2021 and acquired a controlling interest in Campobasso in 2022 after making its first investment in the club in 2020. Ascoli has competed in Italy’s Serie A or Serie B for more than 40 seasons, while Campobasso won promotion to Serie D in the 2022-23 season.
“We know that Brooklyn will become a transformational market for soccer in the United States,” Rizzetta said via press release. “I cannot think of a place that better represents the cultural diversity, passion and ambition that has made soccer the world’s most beautiful game.
“We would like to thank the USL for awarding us the rights to bring professional soccer to the world’s borough. We are excited to get to work and to begin building something truly special that will make everyone who identifies with Brooklyn extremely proud.”
“With world-renowned arts, food, music and nightlife, a tremendous mix of cultures among more than 2.6 million residents, and immense local pride, Brooklyn is the perfect home for a professional USL club,” USL Deputy CEO Justin Papadakis said via press release.
“Brooklyn is a globally recognized home for what’s cool now and what’s going to be cool next. We believe that Brooklyn’s USL club will become a leading soccer brand not only in the United States but also around the world. We look forward to working together with the club and the passionate soccer fans of Brooklyn as we continue to shape the future of soccer in America.”
Brooklyn played an important role in American soccer history. Brooklyn Field Club won the first U.S. Open Cup in 1914, but by then soccer was well established in the city, with leagues in the city dating back to the 1880s and the likes of Ebbets Field hosting U.S. Open Cup matches.