‘Inconvenient truth’: Man City case spotlights realities of UK-UAE ties
Por Tom Hussain — South China Morning Post – News feed
Advertisement Britain This Week in Asia Politics ‘Inconvenient truth’: Man City case spotlights realities of UK-UAE ties
Analysts point to a much deeper network of high-stakes diplomacy and geopolitical economics between London and Abu Dhabi
4 -MIN READ 4 -MIN Listen
Tom Hussain in Islamabad Published: 8:20pm, 12 Oct 2026
When Liverpool fans greeted Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday with jeers and banners demanding the Abu Dhabi-owned football club be relegated, they took aim at what critics have long dubbed “sportswashing” – the practice of using high-profile sports investments to launder a tarnished international reputation.
Focusing solely on public relations, however, obscures a much deeper network of high-stakes diplomacy and geopolitical economics between London and Abu Dhabi.
The reality behind the United Arab Emirates’ acquisition of the club is an “inconvenient truth” rather than a mere branding exercise, according to Simon Chadwick, a leading sports business expert and co-editor of The Geopolitical Economy of Football: Where Power Meets Politics and Business.
Rather than buying influence through sport, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan’s 2008 takeover was the result of “intense diplomacy” that subsequently helped London navigate the global financial crisis that struck later that year, Chadwick said.
Select Voice Select Speed 0.8x 0.9x 1.0x 1.1x 1.2x 1.5x 1.75x 00:00 00:00 1x AI-generated voice
