Kang Unveils London City Centre to Rival Premier League Sites — SkimNews
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- Michele Kang told BBC Sport London City Lionesses' purpose-built training centre will open in less than a year, with the club's architect — who has built several Premier League grounds — claiming it will exceed the majority of men's Premier League facilities.
- London City Lionesses significantly bolstered their Women's Super League squad over the summer, signing two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas as part of Kang's investment push.
- The new centre will host research into female athlete health; Kang cited that ACL injuries are two to three times more common among female players and that roughly 94% of medical research is dedicated to men.
- Kang's multi-club ownership already spans England, France, and the United States, and she said she plans to acquire women's teams in Asia, Africa, and South America to bring top-tier facilities to those markets.
- Kang champions independent women's clubs — London City and Durham are the only two women-only teams in England — drawing on her experience with Washington Spirit, where two-thirds of US women's teams operate independently of men's sides.
- Kang traces her commitment to gender equality in sport to her upbringing in South Korea, where her father told his three daughters they could pursue any path with full effort regardless of gender.
- When asked what message she had for the rest of the Women's Super League, Kang answered in a single word: "Invest."
Why it matters: Kang is directing private capital at a structural deficit — a purpose-built facility, dedicated research into female athletes, and an independent-club model — rather than incremental upgrades, with 94% of medical research currently focused on men as the cited justification. Her stated plan to replicate the model in Asia, Africa, and South America, combined with her one-word directive to WSL rivals, sets an explicit benchmark for what competitive infrastructure in the women's game should look like.
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