Manchester City chairman promises to speak out on Premier League charges
Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has vowed to break his silence on the club’s ongoing Premier League dispute once a ruling is delivered, reports BritPanorama.
The club is facing over 100 alleged breaches of financial regulations, with charges first brought in 2023. Despite a 12-week hearing concluding 18 months ago, no verdict has yet been announced.
City have consistently denied any wrongdoing throughout the process. Speaking to the club’s official channels, Al Mubarak stated: “Let me be as consistent as I’ve always been – until we have a ruling, I can’t say much.”
He added, “Once we have a ruling, believe me, we’re going to have a wonderful sit down together and I’ll say everything I’ve wanted to say for the last three years.” The chairman also confirmed that owner Sheikh Mansour has no plans to part with the club.
Al Mubarak placed a $10 billion valuation on City Football Group, a dramatic increase from the $100-120 million price tag when the Abu Dhabi takeover occurred in 2008. “There’s no intention to sell. There’s only intention to keep growing this because the view here is this will only grow and this is a beautiful business to own,” he stated.
He described football as “the pinnacle” within the sporting world, with City occupying a similar position within football itself. “In 18 years, we’ve not taken a pound of profit outside of the club. What we’ve done for 18 years is invest and invest and invest and grow this club and grow this group,” Al Mubarak said.
This strategy has led to significant transformations, including an expansion of the Etihad Stadium to accommodate over 61,000 spectators. A £300 million development around the North Stand is currently underway, aimed at establishing the venue as a year-round entertainment destination.
The ownership’s approach over the past 18 years has focused on continuous reinvestment rather than extracting dividends. “When Sheikh Mansour looks at this club, he sees it as a long-term investment,” Al Mubarak explained. “These sorts of jewels, you don’t sell.”
The Abu Dhabi era has delivered remarkable silverware, with City claiming eight Premier League titles, the Champions League, four FA Cups, and eight League Cups since 2008. Pep Guardiola’s decade at the helm accounted for 20 of the club’s 27 major trophies during this period before his departure at the end of the 2025/26 season.
City Football Group has expanded globally, incorporating a portfolio of 11 clubs worldwide. Despite Guardiola’s exit and the unresolved charges, the ownership remains committed to sustained expansion and continued investment in the business.
Amid all the uncertainty, one thing remains clear: in football, as in life, the future is less about what one has been, and more about what one seeks to become. City may be navigating choppy waters now, yet the long-term vision of its ownership suggests that the only way is up.
