Top 10 moments in 10 years at the City Football Academy

A look back at some of the great moments at the CFA over the past 10 years…

To celebrate the anniversary of the Academy, we’re remembering some of the most iconic moments of the past decade.

From our official opening to moving towards net zero, a lot has happened at the Etihad Campus.

Here’s a reminder of 10 great moments from our first decade.

WELCOME PEP!

It seems like only yesterday that Pep Guardiola arrived at Manchester City but when you count up the trophies, even nine years doesn’t seem enough.

We knew we were getting the best manager in the world, but no one could have expected what he has achieved in his eight-and-a-half seasons.

Thousands of fans joined us at the CFA for the Cityzens Weekend to welcome him to the Club.

It was quite a day as we launched the new badge, a new kit and a new manager that has brought us 18 trophies… so far.

ISTANBUL, WE ARE COMING

The Champions League victory over Inter in 2023 was undoubtedly one of the greatest nights in our history.

But so much of the hard work done by Pep and the players over a remarkable Treble season was done at the CFA.

The staff in Manchester wanted to wish good luck to the squad as they set off on the trip to Turkey.

And the coach drove past the well-wishers with flags on the first part of the journey for what would be a remarkable weekend.

LEGENDS HONOURED

So many Club legends have been part of our recent history and their contribution is recognised at the CFA.

Seven unique mosaics have been unveiled to celebrate the magic that they have been brought to City with Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak confirming a new one has been commissioned to honour the career of Steph Houghton.

The City greats with mosaics already are Yaya Toure, Joe Hart, David Silva, Vincent Kompany, Sergio Aguero, Fernandinho and Ilkay Gundogan

It’s a special way to celebrate their impacts and an inspiration to the young footballers aiming to follow in their footsteps.

FOREVER BLUE

Our blue community pitch at the CFA was renamed to honour the contribution of Alex Williams MBE both on and off the pitch.

After a successful playing career with City, the former goalkeeper became Head of City in the Community (CITC) in 1990.

He retired from his role after 33 years after shaping the charity into one of the largest and most impactful football foundations in the country.

‘The Alex Williams Community Pitch’ was unveiled in celebration of the positive impact he had across Greater Manchester and the legacy his work leaves behind.

STUDIO ONE

We aim to bring our fans across the world closer to their heroes through our digital channels.

City Studios is a unique, world-class content hub at the heart of City Football Academy which brings great access with documentaries such as our ‘Together’ series.

To keep improving our output, the new high-spec Studio 1 facility was built.

It’s where many of our interviews and new signings are unveiled and is home to Matchday Live which brings you closer to the action on game day.

JOIE PARTNER

In September 2023, City announced that baby gear brand, Joie, would be the Official Stadium Naming Partner of the Academy Stadium.

City became the first Barclays Women’s Super League club to secure a commercial agreement for its stadium naming rights.

It was a significant moment for the Club and to show the growth and appeal of the women’s game.

And the Joie Stadium hosted our record attendance so far when we beat Barcelona in the Champions League this season.

SPECIAL GUESTS

There have been many visitors to the CFA over the past decade from the world of football and beyond.

Oasis are obviously famous City fans but there’s been plenty of celebrities from music, cinema and sport that have paid us a visit.

Shortly after it opened, the President of the People’s Republic of China, President Xi Jinping, came to the CFA.

Accompanied by British Prime Minister David Cameron, he posed for a selfie with Sergio Aguero that went viral.

EURO VISION

The stadium was one of 10 venues chosen to host games for the 2022 Women’s European Championships.

England went on to win the tournament which helped the game to continue on its huge rise.

And fans in Manchester were able to watch international games kicking off with Belgium’s 1-1 draw with Iceland.

Iceland also drew 1-1 with Italy, who then lost 1-0 to Belgium in the final group game.

£10m WOMEN’S TRAINING FACILITY

City announced plans to build a £10 million stand-alone facility for the women’s first team earlier this year.

It marks the latest chapter in the Club’s continued investment into best-in-class facilities for the team.

The Club worked closely with first team multi-disciplinary experts to ensure the facility best meets the specific needs of the players and can be expanded over time as the team continues to grow.

As well as benefitting from a private facility, the team will continue to be a central part of the eco-system at the CFA.

BLUE AND GREEN

The installation of 2,878 solar panels on the roof of the Joie Stadium means it is now also one of the largest solar panel sites in Manchester city centre.

More than 10,500 solar panels will be installed in total across the CFA, in partnership with the Club's Official Solar Energy Partner, Jinko.

Once complete, the site will be one of the largest producers of self-supplied renewable energy in world football.

The Joie Stadium will transition to self-supplied renewable energy later in the season once the panel project has been completed.