DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AFP) — Over the course of nearly two decades, Emirati money has turned once mediocre Manchester City into one of the most dominant teams in world football.

Now, the club face substantial sanctions and potentially even automatic relegation from the Premier League.

In February 2023, the league brought 115 charges against City for breaching financial rules and failing to cooperate with its investigations.

On Tuesday, the Premier League confirmed reports that the club had been found guilty of the charges related to financial breaches, saying the club had created sham contracts and disguised secret funding, breaking rules for nearly a decade.

Potential sanctions could include substantial fines, the stripping of titles and even outright expulsion from the Premier League.

City continue to deny the charges and will appeal the verdict, while Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said he was still confident of proving the club’s innocence.

Here is what you need to know about the two most prominent Emiratis behind the club:

Sheikh Mansour

Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan is 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 is chairman of the board of Mubadala, a State-backed fund worth hundreds of billions of dollars. Its CEO is Khaldoon al-Mubarak, who is also the chair of Manchester City.

Emirati Vice-President and Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan (Photo: AFP)

Sheikh Mansour’s vast wealth and political power span State companies worth hundreds of billions of dollars and which do substantial amounts of business in Britain, raising the stakes in the potential diplomatic and economic cost of City’s legal troubles.

His actions beyond football have also been shrouded in controversy.

He is a majority owner of Redbird IMI, which agreed to buy the Telegraph, the UK’s foremost conservative newspaper, but the deal was blocked and the British Government has since passed laws stipulating that foreign states will only be allowed to own up to 15 per cent of newspapers and news magazines.

Sheikh Mansour owns Abu Dhabi-based IMI, which runs Sky News Arabia. Earlier this year the UK-based Sky News announced it would relinquish all strategic and operational ownership of its Arabic-language sister channel, after its Sudan coverage caused controversy in Britain.

Meanwhile, a New York Times investigation said that Sheikh Mansour “played a central role” in the UAE’s alleged arming of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group accused by the United States and rights groups of committing genocide.

Experts, including from the United Nations, have accused the UAE of being a major backer of the RSF and fuelling Sudan’s war, though Abu Dhabi strongly denies this.

In Manchester itself, meanwhile, Sheikh Mansour’s Abu Dhabi United Group has become deeply woven into the city, investing vast sums in redeveloping the rundown east of the city.

However, a University of Sheffield study in 2022 and reporting from The Sunday Times suggested the group benefited from sweetheart deals for the projects.

In this May 11, 2014 file photo then Manchester City’s Belgian midfielder Vincent Kompany (centre) celebrates with the Premiership trophy after his team won 2-0 during the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and West Ham United at the Etihad Stadium. Manchester City have been found guilty of all but one of 115 Premier League charges they face for breaching financial regulations, the Athletic reported on Friday, September 25, 2026. (Photo: AFP)

Khaldoon al-Mubarak

As club chairman, Mubarak is the most visible face of the ownership at Manchester City and is seen frequently at the club’s matches.

He is also the chair of City Football Group, which runs a dozen other Emirati-owned or partially owned clubs, including Girona in Spain and MLS team New York City.

He has overseen City’s transformation both on the pitch, where it has spent billions to construct a world-beating team, and off it, with the club’s commercial revenues soaring under Emirati ownership.

The 51-year-old is a prominent figure outside football, having served as managing director and group chief executive for the Mubadala Investment Company since 2002. The giant State-owned fund manages US$385 billion in assets across more than 80 countries, according to its website.

He also sits on the board of directors of the UAE’s State oil company, ADNOC.

Beyond that, Mubarak holds several senior positions in the Government of Abu Dhabi, 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 allowed him to build close ties with British politicians. According to the Financial Times, Mubarak has good personal relations with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, dating to the latter’s time as mayor of Greater Manchester.

The same report said he was also on good terms with Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, whose constituency is in the city.