Man City – the blueprint for foreign ownership?

Loathe it, like it, or love it, football is big business, and no league has attracted bigger business than the English Premiership.

A strong structure backed by mega TV deals and loyal supporters has made the English league arguably the world’s best. In recent years, we have seen more and more foreign owners of English clubs, with varying degrees of success.

There are few better examples of how foreign money talks in football than Chelsea’s rise from good to great after the investment of Roman Abramovich’s billions.

However, while Chelsea’s domestic success has been impressive, Abramovich is yet to achieve his dream of seeing the club win the European Champion’s League, Europe’s most important club competition.

In 2008, Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan bought Manchester City yet more oil-related money. Sheikh Mansour is part of the emirate’s influential royal family and sits atop the board of the International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) and First Gulf Bank. While Abramovich took investment in football clubs to a new level, Sheikh Mansour’s financial muscle far outweighs that of the Russian Oligarch.

It is hard to fault the Russian’s efforts, and while many have been vocal about how foreign ownership “spoils” the game, there can be no debating that it is here to stay.

Man City manager, Roberto Mancini is in the massively enviable position of having a near-inexhaustible fund behind him, and his investments are beginning to appear shrewd.

In the 2010-2011 season, City had spent vast amounts on players that took time to gel, and the team appeared defensive, negative and even dull. Speculation was rife that Mancini’s job was far from safe and Jose Mourinho’s name was bounced around by pundits and speculators as a possible replacement.

Midway through the season, City spent big on a big Bosnian. Edin Dzeko. Spending around 26 million euros, Mancini had picked up one of Europe’s hottest properties. However, Dzeko appeared cumbersome and did not fit the billing of his big-money move.

Other major signings like Nigel de Jong, and Kolo Toure offered little in the way of attacking flair, and the amounts paid for Joleon Lescott (GBP22 million+) and James Milner (GBP26 million) was scandalous. However, few would deny that the signings of Carlos Tevez and David Silva were astute no matter the price.

It was clear however, that City would spend big again this summer, and they did not disappoint. The most notable of their summer dealings was the capture of Arsenal’s Samir Nasri (GBP25 million) and Sergio Aguero (GBP35 million) from Athletico Madrid – two young players with excellent track records and astronomically high ceilings.

While City had made an excellent start to the season without the two, their impact has been immense.

Aguero has made his price tag appear a bargain, turning in a memorable Man of the Match debut substitute performance against lowly Swansea. The Argentine, Maradona’s son-in-law, clearly has what it takes to compete in, entertain, and at times, rip apart, the world’s most watched league.

City made their debut in the Champion’s League last week, drawing 1-1 at home with Napoli. While they may not have hit the ground running as quickly as some might have speculated, it is undoubtable that the players Mancini has brought in have the quality to make the step up.

Naysayers may claim that City have just thrown money at mercenaries – in the case of Ballotelli, this may be true – but the squad Mancini has built is prepared for whatever is thrown at it. They have at least two world-class players for every outfield position, and that is what sets City apart from the other teams who have tried to ‘buy’ European success.

Mourinho’s Chelsea team was built in a similar fashion, and as a Chelsea fan, I would argue that had it not been for a terrible refereeing decision against Liverpool, Abramovich could well have achieved his cherished prize by now. But Manchester City have invested very wisely in young, extremely talented players, showing their resolve by not balking at wage demands that proved too much of a barrier for Chelsea, Real Madrid, Barcelona or even city rivals Manchester United.

Sheikh Mansour and City have shown that they are serious about this ‘project,’ and while it pains me to say it, I think they will be dominant for years to come.

The important thing to learn from foreign ownership in football is that while in some cases, the ventures may be pet projects, for the fans of the clubs, it is vital that the investors show that they are serious.