Inside Michele Kang's ambitious plans to take London City Lionesses from Championship also-rans to WSL champions

It’s easy to see why Kang is a revered figure for many in the women’s game. She doesn’t just talk the talk, she is a “doer” in Asllani’s words. She quite literally puts her money where her mouth is and invests and supports the teams she owns.

There are some that are opposed to her multi-club ownership model, but Kang made it clear in just her second press conference that, across the three teams she owns a majority stake in, “the goal is to make every team the champion in each of the leagues that they play” rather than “to make one team successful, like some of the common models that you see on the men's side”.

To get London City to the level she envisages is going to be her toughest challenge yet, though. Lyon was already established as the biggest team in Europe before her investment, and while the Spirit didn’t win a first NWSL Championship until after Kang got involved, the club has been in the U.S. top flight since its establishment in 2013. That’s not to say that Kang hasn’t done things to help both improve, but to illustrate the difference in trying to help an English second division side achieve such lofty ambitions.

Kang has experienced the obstacles such a challenge presents already, too. “Over the past six months, we approached a lot of top coaches, a lot of top players, and a lot of them told us, 'Call me when you get promoted',” she explained. “A lot of people were very nervous about joining a Championship team.”

After all, there are implications. Asllani, whom Kang is extremely “grateful” for because of her decision to take a “risk”, will want to go to the European Championship next summer with Sweden, and dropping down to the second division could impact that. Given her experience and quality, and how proven she is, it’s possible she will still get the nod, but other players aren’t in that situation. Even though Asllani is, it remains a gamble.

And that is where Kang’s character comes into it all. “I went with the gut and the feeling I get from Michele with her vision for women's sport,” Asllani explained. “She is someone that believes in a project, that is investing, that is a doer. That is how I feel, and the impression I got from Michele from our first meeting. I remember leaving the room feeling like, 'I want to work with her'.”

Precheur gave similar comments. “Since I met Michele last season, I have admired her vision, her dedication for the women's game,” he added. “She is very ambitious. This is a big project. Very quickly, I decided to join Michele because I really, really wanted to support her to be part of this project.”

It’s clear that her ambition resonates and that she is able to convey her vision in a way that persuades people to get onboard. Lyon star Ada Hegerberg told GOAL that Kang was a big reason in her decision to renew with the eight-time European champions earlier this year. Now, she’s playing a huge role in drawing elite players and coaches to the English second-tier.

It's not just on the pitch that she’s making big things happen, either. Recognising the need for a top-class training environment if London City are to hit the heights desired, Kang has purchased the 23-acre training facility that the club was renting.

“We engaged the architects who designed the Tottenham training centre,” Kang explained. “I did my research, and in my opinion, they have actually the best football training centre. We engaged with them and they have been working with us to design the state of the art training centre for women's football teams. They will be designing basically the same concept for London City, for the Spirit and for Lyon.”

That’s on top of the decision to relocate from Princes Park, the stadium used by seventh-tier men's team Dartford FC, to Hayes Lane, the ground of newly-promoted League Two outfit Bromley. It moves the club from Kent to Greater London, which Kang believes is “important”, but most significantly gives them “a professional grade stadium” to play in.

But it is on that pitch in Bromley, and on many others across England, where London City Lionesses will need to get the results to earn promotion in what is an increasingly competitive Championship. Only one team earns a ticket from the second-tier to the Women’s Super League each season, and London City finished some seven places and 21 points behind the club that achieved that feat in 2023-24, Crystal Palace. It'll take more than a new ground, a new coach and a new star player to change their fortunes.

There’s a fine balance to be struck between improving the squad in the transfer window to the point that it can challenge for the title, without changing so much that the group struggles to gel, too. Like Kang says, money doesn’t guarantee promotion.

“On one side, we have a lot of ambition. We have a lot of motivation, too, but on the other side, we also have to show some humility because we have to work,” Precheur said. “We have to build a new team. Michele has given us everything we need to build and to be efficient immediately, from the beginning. After, it depends on how we will create this group, this cohesion between these new players, how I will share my philosophy, how we will create our identity, the way we play. Our mission is to get promoted in the first season.”

That urgency was clear throughout this blockbuster press conference. Balancing ambition and humility, plus the fact she was not speaking in her native tongue, Asllani was keen to respect the division she is entering while stressing the desire to get out of it quickly. “It's not easy,” she said. “It's not easy to create a team. I don't want to take time, but [go] as fast as possible. The question is, how fast can we do it?”

There are several examples of clubs investing big and recruiting well to earn a rapid promotion from the Championship in recent seasons, from Manchester United to Aston Villa, and the Lionesses will be encouraged by those cases which show it can be sealed in rather prompt fashion. However, Newcastle United, just up from the third-tier, are an equally ambitious rival that they will face in the league this season, while Southampton are among those who are slowly progressing further towards being WSL-ready.

Should London City Lionesses fans be concerned if it takes more than one year then? Women’s football has too many examples of big investment fading, of money running out or investors losing interest over time. This was put to Kang and she was asked what her assurances would be to fans who might be concerned about her commitment, given the mistrust that has built up by other cases.

“I think the train has left the station for women's football,” she responded. “This is a movement, globally and especially in England. Women's football is on the rise. I don't think there is any turning back. I was in the healthcare IT business and I just sold a company because I had to pay for all this. We're in it. We're committed.”

It was backed up by those sitting either side of her. Asllani assured that she is “wholeheartedly” onboard because she believes in the vision and she believes in Kang. Precheur said it was a project he had been waiting “a very long time” for in the women’s game.

It was all emphasised by big talk of the future, of WSL football, of becoming champions of England, even. As an independent club, starting in the second division, in an increasingly competitive league, London City Lionesses will have obstacles. Whether they can navigate them as quickly as they would like, with Kang’s investment and ambition, it’s difficult to know at this point. If one thing is for sure, though, it is that it will be fascinating to track their progress.