The Manchester City case shows us how the global mega-rich now expect to operate with impunity | Jonathan Liew
When transnational alliances have scarcely been weaker, the way the club was allegedly run offers a bleak vision of a world driven by brute power and wealth The cache of leaked emails and documents that would eventually lead to the crisis in which Manchester City are now embroiled was published by Der Spiegel in 2018 , and often it was the tone of the club’s communications that was as startling…
The Manchester City case reveals a troubling reality of how global elites now expect to operate without consequence, writes Jonathan Liew. The club's alleged mismanagement offers a grim glimpse into a world where brute force and wealth reign supreme. This revelation came to light when a trove of leaked emails and documents, which eventually exposed the crisis engulfing Manchester City, was published by Der Spiegel in 2018.
What made these communications particularly striking was the tone in which the club's leaders communicated.
For instance, when discussing Manchester City's chairman, Khaldoon al-Mubarak, a trusted advisor to the royal family of the United Arab Emirates, it was noted that he would "rather spend 30 million on the 50 best lawyers in the world to sue [UEFA] for the next 10 years" than accept a fine. Similarly, a document from City lawyer Simon Cliff claimed that "UEFA doesn't respond to anything other than aggression", and threatened the governing body of European football with "the destruction of their rules and organization".
This account provides a stark illustration of how the world's wealthiest individuals and institutions now feel they are above the law.
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