More than just football: How scandal-tainted City led Manchester's rebirth
Standing behind the counter of his fish-and-chip shop near the Etihad Stadium, Sailish Parekh says the transformation of east Manchester over the past two decades has been remarkable. Manchester City "has not only just been a football club for the area.
It's a bit of a saviour, to be honest," he told AFP. Before City -- now embroiled in the biggest financial scandal to hit football's cash-rich Premier League -- moved to the area it was "very deprived" with high rates of unemployment, he said.
Since the club's takeover by deep-pocketed Abu Dhabi investors in 2008, long-neglected districts between the stadium and the city centre have become symbols of the northern city's rebirth. Decades of decline linked to deindustrialisation have been reversed.
In neighbourhoods such as Ancoats and New Islington, red-brick warehouses still stand as reminders of Manchester's industrial past. But many disused mills and factories have given way to apartment blocks, trendy cafes and co-working spaces.
Software engineer Simon Martin, 44, who lives in Ancoats, recounted how a cab driver told him he would have hesitated once to pick him up, when the area was riddled with crime. Today, Martin praises the "really nice community" with "more young families moving in", although soaring rents have pushed out some lower-income residents.
The transformation reflects the influence of Manchester City and its owner, Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG), controlled by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan, a member of the United Arab Emirates royal family. The Emirati investors have not just turned City into one of Europe's dominant football clubs.
They have also poured money into property development, building homes and commercial spaces on council-owned land leased under favourable terms. The partnership is centred on Manchester Life, a property company created jointly between ADUG and the council in 2014, but it has drawn criticism over transparency and profit distribution.
In a 2024 study, University of Sheffield researchers argued the arrangement primarily enabled the ADUG group to lock in rising land values. - 'Our Eiffel Tower' - The city council rejects the criticism, saying it secured "the best overall deal" at a time when investors were scarce after the 2007-2008 global financial crisis.
According to the council, the partnership delivered around 1,500 homes and nearly 2,800 square metres (30,100 square feet) of commercial space. The debate has resurfaced after the Premier League announced last week that an independent commission had found the club guilty on more than 100 charges of breaking financial rules.