Man City chairman frustrated by financial cloud over treble triumph
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Pep Guardiola’s team won a historic treble of the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup last season.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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LONDON – Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has voiced his frustration that Financial Fair Play (FFP) charges are overshadowing the club’s success on the pitch, vowing to air his “blunt views” when he can.
Pep Guardiola’s team won a historic treble of the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup last season
City were charged in February with 115 alleged breaches of the Premier League’s FFP regulations
They could face the prospect of losing the three Premier League titles they won during the period of violations and expulsion from the league.
Guardiola said in May that he does not want a cloud hanging over his side’s achievements and hopes for a resolution as soon as possible.
Al Mubarak, 48, in an interview released by City on Monday, said he could not comment in detail on the charges for legal reasons but would have a “conversation” when the process was complete.
“I’ll give you my very blunt views, I promise you that,” he said. “I have very strong views on that, but I am going to be, unfortunately, very restrained today.
“It’s very frustrating because it takes so much from the great work that’s happening at this club and it’s happening not just on the football pitch. What these players have achieved this year, the treble, is incredible.”
He also lavished praise on Erling Haaland, who scored 52 goals in 53 appearances in his debut season. In their first conversation after the Norwegian signed, Al Mubarak said the striker claimed he would win the Champions League for the club.
Al Mubarak said: “What amazed me about Erling is the confidence. He’s got something special, confidence with respect... And the scary part, this is just the beginning for him.”
He noted that City, who have won five of the past six Premier League titles, were “very well run” and described the club as “the No. 1 football brand in the world”.
City, acquired by the Abu Dhabi-based City Football Group in 2008, are the flagship club of the organisation, which now incorporates a network of 13 clubs from around the world.
“Today, the value of this group is over US$6 billion (S$8 billion),” he said. “We’ve created so much value – we’ve brought in world-class investors. Why? Because we have a commercial machine here that is one of the best in the world.”
City recorded a net transfer profit of £68.5 million (S$117.7 million) in 2020-21, £67.7 million in 2021-22 and are likely to post an even higher profit for last season after raising around £193 million from sales, including £65 million from the sale of academy products.
“The club generate a tremendous revenue,” Al Mubarak said of City’s record £613 million turnover for 2021-22. “You look at our sales in terms of what we produce, in terms of from our academy, from our first team.”
He added: “We can go on for half an hour with me just giving you data in terms of net spend over the last season, the last three years, five years, 10 years.
“Look at every single one of them as the facts and compare us to our competition and then people will throw at us ‘you’re the biggest spenders’, ‘you have the biggest squad’.
“I wish people can just pause, get the facts and then comment.”
Despite City’s success, he promised the club will remain hungry as ever.
He said: “Look what we have this summer: the (Community) Shield, Super Cup, Club World Cup. For the first time, this club are going to be competing in the Super Cup and the Club World Cup. And we want to win these.” AFP, REUTERS
