By targeting the biggest future football market of all,Abu Dhabi regime is seizing global potential of club while being mindful to support fans happy at homeThe landmark, £265m alliance to capitalise on the growing appetite for football in China has completed a month at Manchester City which has illustrated four core elements in the extraordinary story of the previously hapless club’s ownership by the oil-wealthy emirate of Abu Dhabi. The first, or highlighted by this revolutionary purchase of a 13% stake in the umbrella City Football Group to China Media Capital (CMC),a Chinese state-backed investment conglomerate, is the overarching global ambition of the Abu Dhabi ownership.
An initial insight that City was a wealthy prince’s indulgence when Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan bought the club in 2008 has ceded to a realisation that the intention is to make serious money out of it, and this deal values City at a round US$3bn (£1.99bn) and rising.
Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com