While the looming legal battles between Manchester City bad the Premier League have dominated headlines recently the influence of the world champions is obvious across the Premier League. The world champions have built a setup that is the envy of their rivals. So much so that their rivals have hired former Manchester City staff for key roles off the pitch and in the dugout.
While Pep Guardiola and his players rightfully get the credit for City’s on-field success the off-field set-up of the champions allows Pep and his players to do what they do best. Outside of the two legal cases with the Premier League, the champions are set up for long-term success. This is evidenced by City’s dominance of English football over the past 7 seasons. They have claimed 6 of the past 7 League titles including the past 4 in a row. Add a host of domestic cups, the club’s first UEFA Champions League crown plus the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup and City’s place as one of the greatest teams in English football history is secured.
The off-field environment at City is one of stability and is full of shrewd operators. Many of the people in high positions at Manchester City are the best in their field. From Khaldoon Al-Mubarak to Txiki Begiristain to Ferran Soriano they set the tone for the entire club to follow. This is highlighted by how many of City’s staff are now being employed in top roles at their rivals.
Manchester City’s staff is now hunted by their rivals.
It speaks volumes that City’s fiercest rivals Manchester United have hired a key member of City’s staff. Omar Berrada is set to begin work as United’s chief executive next month. The idea of United stealing a member of City’s staff wouldn’t have appeared possible 20 years ago. Now it is seen as a feather in United’s cap to hire an employee from Manchester City. Berrada isn’t the only member of United’s new-look staff under Sir Jim Radcliffe. As Mike Keegan reports for the Daily Mail there is a plethora of staff at Manchester United with Manchester City links. That is the ultimate compliment to what the world champions have built.
City’s influence has also spread to the dugout. There is a host of managers across the Premier League that have links to Pep Guardiola and Manchester City. Mikel Arteta served under Guardiola before taking the Arsenal job. Newly appointed Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is another of Guardiola’s disciples. Even City’s fiercest rival of recent times has hired a manager who idolises Guardiola. New Liverpool manager Arne Slot is an admitted fan of the City manager. There are also a host of coaches across the Premier League and Europe who have worked at Manchester City.
Khaldoon Al-Mubarak is proud of what Manchester City have built.
Speaking during his annual end-of-season address Khaldoon Al-Mubarak is proud to see so many former City players and employees doing well. He told mancity.com: “Frankly, (it makes me feel) proud. It tells you we are very good at what we do at every level. When you see, and I use the word, graduates, players at the academy level, players at the first team level leave and go and have successful careers. Coaching staff, medical staff, physios, and senior executives are being sought after by the best teams in the world. I think if anything, that’s a testament that we’re on the right track.”
Manchester City’s on and off-field set-up is the envy of their rivals. This is made abundantly clear by how many former City employees now have roles with Manchester City’s rivals. Unfortunately, it may take the resolution of the two ongoing legal cases City is involved in for this fact to be widely acknowledged. But it is an obvious fact though the majority won’t admit it at this stage.
