Over nearly twenty years, Emirati money has turned Manchester City from a struggling team into a major force in world football.
Now, the club is facing serious penalties and might even be kicked out of the Premier League.
In February 2023, the league hit City with 115 charges for breaking financial rules and not cooperating with investigations.
On Tuesday, the Premier League confirmed that the club was found guilty of these financial violations. They said City created fake contracts and hid secret funding, breaking rules for almost ten years.
Possible punishments could include heavy fines, taking away titles, and even being expelled from the Premier League.
City continues to deny the charges and plans to appeal the decision. Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said he is confident they will prove the club’s innocence.
##, Sheikh Mansour, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan is the vice-president, deputy prime minister, and chairman of the Presidential Court of the United Arab Emirates. He owns the Abu Dhabi United Group, which bought Manchester City in 2008.
Born in 1970, he is the younger brother of UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed and one of the richest men in the Middle East.
He chairs the board of Mubadala, a state-backed fund worth hundreds of billions of dollars. Khaldoon al-Mubarak is the CEO of Mubadala and also chairs Manchester City.
Sheikh Mansour’s wealth and political influence cover state companies worth billions that do a lot of business in Britain. This raises questions about the possible diplomatic and economic fallout from City’s legal issues.
His activities outside football have also raised eyebrows.
He is the majority owner of Redbird IMI, which tried to buy the Telegraph, a major conservative newspaper in the UK. The deal was blocked, and the British government later made laws that limit foreign ownership of newspapers to 15 percent.
Sheikh Mansour owns IMI based in Abu Dhabi, which runs Sky News Arabia. Earlier this year, Sky News in the UK said it would give up all control of its Arabic-language sister channel after its coverage of Sudan caused issues in Britain.
Meanwhile, a New York Times investigation claimed that Sheikh Mansour “played a central role” in the UAE’s alleged support of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group accused by the US and rights groups of genocide.
Experts, including from the UN, have accused the UAE of being a major supporter of the RSF and worsening Sudan’s conflict, but Abu Dhabi denies this strongly.
In Manchester, Sheikh Mansour’s Abu Dhabi United Group has invested heavily in redeveloping the poor east side of the city.
Yet, a 2022 study from the University of Sheffield and reports from The Sunday Times suggested the group got favorable deals for these projects.
###, Khaldoon al-Mubarak, As the club chairman, Mubarak is the most recognized face of the ownership at Manchester City and is often seen at matches.
He also chairs City Football Group, which runs several other Emirati-owned or partly owned clubs, including Girona in Spain and New York City in MLS.
He has led City’s growth on the pitch, where it has spent billions to build a top team, and off the pitch, as the club’s income has soared under Emirati control.
The 51-year-old is also a well-known figure outside football. He has served as managing director and group chief executive for Mubadala Investment Company since 2002. This large state-owned fund manages $385 billion in assets across over 80 countries, according to its website.
He is also on the board of the UAE’s state oil company, ADNOC.
On top of that, Mubarak holds several important roles in the Abu Dhabi government, including a seat on the emirate’s executive council, making him one of the most powerful non-royals in the country.
His work with Manchester City has reportedly helped him build strong relationships with British politicians. The Financial Times reported that Mubarak has a good personal relationship with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, dating back to Burnham’s time as mayor of Greater Manchester.
The same report mentioned that he is also on good terms with Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, whose constituency is in the city.
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