It’s difficult to avoid thinking that the upcoming Amazon Prime documentary “All or Nothing: Manchester City” almost called itself “Death or Glory: Manchester City’s Band of Brothers” after watching the teaser. It shows General Pep Guardiola sketching his war plans and encouraging his tired and injured men in the dressing room, saying, “We are close, we are so close,” overlaid with a score heavy on drums. Later, he joyfully surveys his platoon’s victorious victory away at Stoke City. Unfortunately, Netflix has not yet reached out to me offering to finance my own country project, “The Men Behind Manchester City.”
As a result, I am forced to disclose information about the second episode, which is tentatively titled “The Kids Are Not Alright.” Though, strangely, it is my documentary that has all the dead and gut-wrenching violence, viewers of Amazon’s documentary are likely to make comparisons between the tone and genre norms of the current war movie and themes from American soap operas from the 1980s.
The Ownership
The first episode focused on the shocking revelation that Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, his more powerful and dangerous elder brother, is actually the one running Manchester City. It contended that the club’s ascent to the top of the European game is a result of a group of money-hungry, violent statesmen seeking to expand their network of influence and power, with the help of scheming public relations advisors. Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi’s regional ally; their despised neighbor in the Gulf, Qatar; and Dubai, Abu Dhabi’s junior partner in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Get ready for a thrilling story of brutality, rivalry, jealousy, and high-stakes competitive camel racing. If the men wanting to take over professional football made you uncomfortable in episode 1, get over it.
Financial Fair Play (FFP) Controversy
Above a match between the two teams that had won the previous six editions of the championship, a jet with a banner declaring the Premier League to be “corrupt” took off. A few hashtags were used to conclude the protest message, as is now customary on contemporary aircraft banners. UTFT and EFC identified the message’s writers as Everton supporters. An independent tribunal judged the Premier League ever-presents guilty of breaking the competition’s profit and sustainability regulations last week, and they were fined ten points. The Premier League has never seen a bigger point deduction than this one. English Premier League teams are allowed to report losses of up to £105 million over the course of three seasons. These losses do not include costs associated with the stadium, training facility, women’s team, or academy. It has been determined that Everton has gone above this limit by £19.5 million. Although the club disputes the extent of their violation, they acknowledge that they violated the rules, but they are far less amenable to the punishment meted out.
Transfer Market Influence
The amount of eyes on the banner was significantly reduced when Sky Sports, who was airing the game in the UK, didn’t redirect any footage from the sky-blue jerseys on the field to the clear sky. The Manchester City stadium was a perfect location for the demonstration, despite the slightly dashed hopes of gatecrashing the biggest match of the Premier League weekend. A month before Everton’s lone transgression was made public, in February 2023, the Premier League filed charges against City for 115 rule violations.
The Toffees are certain of their destiny, even in the event of an appeal; however, City’s case is still being investigated by a separate panel, and there are no indications that it will be resolved very soon. Guardiola made note of the stark differences between Everton and City’s situations before Liverpool’s visit. Although the Toffees’ imprudence was apparent in their yearly financial reports, City is said to have purposefully circumvented the division’s fiscal guidelines. The current champions, who are controlled by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the United Arab Emirates, are accused of innovative accounting in addition to inflating sponsorship deals.
The Bottom Line
In conclusion, the geopolitical influence of the United Arab Emirates will be examined in greater detail. The claims that the owners of Manchester City employed a convicted child molester to launder money to a fundraiser for US President Donald Trump will be explored, as will the manner in which the UAE government enlisted the help of Indian special forces to abduct a Dubai princess who had absconded from the country aboard a yacht alongside a former French spy.
