More Than a Club: The Story of London City Lionesses
London City Lionesses were founded in May 2019 as an independent club from Millwall Lionesses.
In December 2023 the club was sold to Michele Kang who is an entrepreneur and owner of Washington Spirit who play in the National Women's Super League in the United States and in 2024 she acquired eight-time women's Champions League winners Lyon,
who are now known as OL Lyonness.
Michele Kang was born on 1st June 1959 in America. She is a businesswoman, philanthropist, investor and owner of multiple associated football teams.
Known for
President and majority owner of Olympique Lyonnais
Majority owner of Washington Spirit
Majority owner of OL Lyonness
Majority owner of London City Lionesses
Creation of Kynisca
In 2024 she established London-based Kynisca as an umbrella management group for her multi-club ownership structure. She has been described as "the first tycoon of women's football"
One of Kang's first signings for the club in 2024 was Swedish captain Kosovare Asllani and she also appointed Jocelyn Prêcheur, formally of Paris Saint-Germain F.C. as the new manager.
On 4 May 2025 London City Lionesses became the first fully independent team to be promoted to the top tier of women's football after drawing 2-2 with Birmingham City in the final match of the season. The promotion-deciding game was the first-ever match in the Women's Championship (WSL Second Tier) to be shown live on Sky Sports as well as being available for fans to watch for free on YouTube.
Following their promotion to the Barclays Women's Super League, London City Lionesses signed a sponsorship deal with Nike. Nike became the supplier of the clubs official kits including Home, Away and Third kits for two years. The kits also featured the phrase "Everyone watches women's sports". The deal also included partnership for development of women athletes and community services in London.
Honours
Women's Championship (Tier 2)
Runner-s Up (2021-22)
Winners (2024-25)
In the 25/26 season they finished 7th, highest home attendance was 5,414 against Arsenal on 15 March 2026, lowest home attendance was 990 against Leicester City on 19 October 2025, the clubs average home league attendance was 3,294. Their biggest win at home was 4-2 against Tottenham Hotspur (Spurs) on 9 November 2025, biggest away wins was 3-1 against Aston Villa on 16 November 2025 and 2-0 against Ipswich Town in the League Cup on 23 November 2025 and the clubs biggest defeat was 5-1 against Manchester United on 14 September 2025.
On 21 December 2025, Jocelyn Prêcheur was sacked by the club. Eder Maestre was appointed as the new manager on 2 January 2026, formally Head Coach of CD Tenerife Femenino, competing in Liga F, where he guided the Canary Islands side through their tenth consecutive season in the top flight. Prior to this, Maestre spent three seasons as assistant coach at Real Sociedad Femenino. During that period, Real Sociedad finished second in Liga F, securing qualification for the UEFA Women’s Champions League, and went on to reach the Copa de la Reina final in the 2023/24 season
After Maestre's appointment, the club appointed Becky Langley as the first team's assistant coach. Langley brings a wealth of experience in women's football, spending six years as the Newcastle United Women’s manager, she oversaw back-to-back promotions and guided the team from the fourth tier to the second tier of the women's football pyramid. She was also in charge when Newcastle United Women turned fully professional in 2023, becoming the first third-tier side to do so, and led the team during its first-ever fixtures at St. James' Park. Last season, Langley guided the club to a fifth-place finish in their debut season in the Women's Super League 2. Alongside her club experience, Langley has also held roles within Nottingham Forest, Northumbria University and English Universities Sport.
For the 2026/27 season, the club has assembled a blockbuster squad. Some of the key signings are: former Lionesses goalkeeper Mary Earps, three-time Ballon d'Or Féminin winner Alexia Putellas, Mapi León, Grace Geyoro, Kadidiatou Diani, Rosa Kafaji, Daniela Arques, Nicole Anyomi and current Lionesses player Freya Godfrey.
Alexia Putellas launched her own YouTube-based broadcast channel, ElevenTV, which holds exclusive rights to stream one Women's Super League (WSL) match per week live in Spain, complete with original formats and interviews.
London City Lionesses opened their 2026/27 season with an impressive victory over Manchester United in front of a record sell-out crowd.
An early deflected header from defender Alanna Kennedy and a late goal from Daniëlle van de Donk sealed a victory following a dominant display from the hosts.
Alexia Putellas, Mapi Leon, Rosa Kafaji and Janni Thomsen were four of the eight new summer signings who made their competitive stars with all contributing in their respective positions throughout the match.
As the season continues, I wish London City Lionesses the very best for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. I look forward to seeing what the team can achieve in the remaining fixtures and wish the players and staff every success for the rest of the campaign.
London City Lionesses are next in home action against Manchester City Women in the WSL on Sunday 1st November, 12pm kick-off.
By Phillipa Kipling
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