Ilch FC Now Under Brera Umbrella, Rebrands

Image property of Brera Holdings

Beginning in August 2023, Brera Holdings began the process of entering the ownership and management structure of Bayanzürkh Sporting Ilch FC of the Mongolian Premier League. When the 2023/2024 MPL season resumes on 1 March following the winter break, newly-rebranded Brera Ilch FC will make its league debut after the transaction was finalized in October 2023.

Ilch FC has had a short but winding history. Founded in 2020, the club earned three promotions from the Amateur Cup to the Premier League in four seasons. Over that time, the club was known as Ilch FC, Erdenes Ilch FC, and Bayanzürkh Sporting Ilch FC before becoming Brera Ilch. After winning the First League last season, the club is currently in its first campaign in the top flight.

Since acquiring its first club, Brera Calcio based in Milan in 2022, the Brera group has added Brera Strumica in North Macedonia and Brera Tchumene of Mozambique to its global brand. Ilch FC becomes the group's first club in Asia. To Brera, Mongolia was the ideal candidate for expansion because of its untapped potential and after management fell in love with Ulan Baator and the country's rich history and culture.

Brera Holdings, a publicly traded company listed on the USA's NASDAQ, features prominent figures of the footballing community. Macedonian legend Goran Pandev has been a member of the Board of Directors since his Akademija Pandev was purchased in 2022, becoming Brera Strumica.

Goran Pandev joining the Brera family in 2022. Image property of Brera Holdings.

Brera is a group with big ambitions and clear goals for their new club.

Hoping to tap into the country's footballing potential, the majority of the roster is still expected to be composed mostly of Mongolian players. Some foreign players, and an Italian coaching staff that will arrive in Mongolia this month, will be brought in professionalize the environment. The club expects to announce its new Italian manager in the coming days.

As for their expectations of performance, Brera knows their new club will first have to avoid relegation this season. Ilch currently sits in the relegation zone in 9th place in the ten-team field with three points at the mid-way point of the season. Following the season, the focus will be on building a roster that can finish at least in the top three moving forward. In the longer term, the club plans to build its own facilities for training, and potentially even a new stadium. Until then, the club has already found a place to rent for training.

Although they have not been involved in Mongolian football for long, it is clear that Brera will be a benefit to the footballing community with increased investment in the development of the sport in the country.

To learn more about the Brera brand, visit: https://www.breraholdings.com/