October 13
Provocative Timing
In a move described as provocative and brazen, Manchester City Football Club leveraged its star players to promote a luxury residential project worth £3 billion in Abu Dhabi—despite the massive uproar surrounding the financial cheating scandal for which the club was recently found guilty by an independent Premier League commission.
Haaland and Guardiola in the Spotlight
British newspapers have revealed that Norwegian striker Erling Haaland—who scored the winning goal in the 3–0 victory over Liverpool—has acquired a waterfront mansion in the new "Manchester City Yas Residences" development by Ohana. The player, along with several of his teammates, appeared in a lavish promotional video for the project.
Haaland and manager Pep Guardiola were among the prominent figures at a lavish launch event held at the Etihad Stadium, where a promotional video was screened for over 4,000 VIPs, brokers, and government officials amidst fireworks and dance performances.
Smiling on screen, Haaland said: "I am delighted to announce my involvement in the Ohana Manchester City project; we’ll be neighbors in Abu Dhabi. I’ve just bought a home there, and so has my father—you might have seen him there, by the way. Hi, Dad! See you soon, and enjoy yourselves."
Haaland’s father (53) subsequently appeared on stage, and reports confirmed that Haaland had purchased a five-bedroom villa valued at no less than £1.9 million; as property owners, both he and his father automatically qualify for a ten-year residency visa in the UAE.
Other City stars featured in the promotional videos included Phil Foden, Nico O’Reilly, and Mateo Kovačić, alongside former striker Omar Marmoush, while Guardiola took a starring role as the project’s official ambassador, stating: "I am happy to be here; this is my second home."
**Provocative Timing Following a Historic Ruling**
The announcement came at a highly sensitive moment for the club, following a finding by an independent commission appointed by the Premier League that it had artificially inflated its revenues by approximately £900 million between 2009 and 2018—starting just one year after its acquisition by the Abu Dhabi United Group, owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The commission used the word "sham" eight times, noting that the club had entered into "sham contracts" and "relied on sham agreements." Although the club was first notified of the findings last July, it has appealed the ruling, claiming to possess "irrefutable evidence" of its innocence; meanwhile, it adopted an aggressive stance in the summer transfer market, signing seven key players for a combined cost exceeding £450 million. The timing sparked a wave of outrage; sports writer John-Paul O'Neill remarked: "The whole thing seems incredibly brazen and demonstrates the contempt the club holds for the investigation. They are completely ignoring it, effectively saying, 'So what? We’ll carry on as usual.' The goal of this massive investment in City is to promote the UAE... it is purely business, purely marketing."
Micky Ambrose, the former Chelsea and Charlton player, added: "It is farcical for Manchester City to be selling luxury homes in Abu Dhabi right after the guilty verdicts. Who says cheaters don't prosper? Fans must be hugely disappointed by all of this."
