Man City scandal reshapes football and a journalist's view

In a recent conversation about the Manchester City scandal, a contact halted mid‑rant and said, “This is like the World Cup final for you, isn’t it?” I bristled, recalling that the club’s alleged £1 billion advantage over nine years has turned the case into football’s most consequential controversy.

Financial cheating uncovered

The investigation revealed a sophisticated scheme that disguised owner funding as sponsorship, effectively breaching football’s financial rules. Over a nine‑year period the alleged advantage approached £1 billion, giving City an unprecedented edge over rivals. The club has appealed the sanctions, insisting on a “comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence” to support its innocence.

Investigative reporting and terminology

I’ve been covering football since January 2017, after a decade as chief football writer of the Independent, and I later compiled those insights into the book “States of Play: How sportswashing took over football”. Early reporting by Ian Herbert and Nick Harris exposed the “Fordham arrangement”, while Gulf expert Nick McGeehan highlighted the deeper politics of Abu Dhabi. Football Leaks in November 2018 laid bare the cheating scheme, prompting Amnesty International to use the term “sportswashing” in relation to the club.

The on‑field narrative was equally dramatic. Khaldoon Al Mubarak, pictured with manager Pep Guardiola after the 2017/18 Premier League triumph, oversaw a season that culminated in a 6‑0 FA Cup final victory over Watford in May 2019. That win placed City on the brink of England’s first domestic treble, yet the match felt more like a staged spectacle than a genuine contest.

Political ramifications and personal reckoning

The scandal underscores how state ownership can weaponise sport for political ends, with Abu Dhabi’s ambitions juxtaposed against a devastating war in Yemen. The author recalls the day the reality of the case sank in, noting that the club’s success was intertwined with a broader agenda to normalise an autocratic regime.

A turning point came when Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham met Khaldoon Al Mubarak at the Etihad Stadium in 2019, instantly altering the previously cordial relationship between the city and the club. That encounter prompted a shift in my own outlook, driving a deeper investigation into the intersection of football, finance and geopolitics.