The Premier League has charged Manchester City with violating the league’s internal financial regulations. This bombshell dropped the ‘Times’ yesterday, Monday, and the league officially confirmed it a little later. After years of meticulous investigative research, the daily newspaper is now publishing new details in one of the biggest scandals in the history of English football.
When following up a lead, the ‘Times’ refers to research carried out by ‘Spiegel’ years ago. It leads to City’s former coach Roberto Mancini, now Italy’s national team coach. As the trainer of the Skylues, he has one “shadow contract” as an adviser to Al Jazira, a club from the Emirate of Abu Dhabi whose ruling family, in the person of Sheikh Mansour, owns Man City.
1.9 million flow via Abu Dhabi
In addition to his net annual salary as a Citizens coach of the equivalent of 1.6 million euros, Mancini received a further 1.9 million euros per annum through this contract. Specifically, these transactions are said to have looked like this: Mancini’s consulting company Italy International Services (IIS) issued City a quarterly invoice. The club then made a transfer to Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG) under Sheikh Mansour. This forwarded the money to the Al Jazira association, which used it to reward Mancini for his consulting work.
In short: more than half of Mancini’s salary at City was paid to the Italian by Al Jazira from the Abu Dhabi control center. The English club did not have to declare this money as an expense to the Premier League – and thus relieved itself within the framework of the existing financial regulations.
Bonuses & Benefits
In addition, Mancini’s ominous contract is said to have included handsome bonuses and other benefits: around 4.5 million euros for winning the English championship, 3.3 million euros for winning the Champions League, monthly accommodation costs of 8,400 euros and six tickets for every home game.
To date, Mancini has refused to say anything about the nebulous contractual relationship with City and Al Jazira, but the allegations seem overwhelming. It remains to be seen if he stands firm as part of the upcoming trial.
