Why Sheikh Mansour might have to sell Man City because of the British government
The British government has been asked to think about putting sanctions on Manchester City’s owner, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, because of the conflict in Sudan.
Manchester City is currently being investigated for more than 115 charges related to breaking financial fair play rules, but the club says they are not guilty.
Since Sheikh Mansour took over the club in 2008, he has changed Manchester City a lot, helping them win eight Premier League titles, one Champions League, three FA Cups, and seven League Cups.
The takeover, supported by the UAE, has also helped improve the Eastlands area with upgrades to the Etihad Stadium. Nearby, you can also find the Co-Op Live arena, the National Cycling Centre and Velodrome, and the National Squash Centre.
The conflict in Sudan has sadly caused at least 150,000 deaths, according to aid groups and the US government.
Human rights group FairSquare is putting pressure on the British government to look into Sheikh Mansour’s possible connection to the UAE’s support of a paramilitary group accused of war crimes during this conflict, as reported by The Athletic. The UAE denies any involvement.
FairSquare says if the UK does decide to sanction Sheikh Mansour, he could lose the right to own Manchester City under Premier League rules. They have also taken their complaint to the Premier League and the new independent Football Regulator.
Nick McGeehan, director of FairSquare, said, “If the UK government wants to make a real difference in ending this terrible conflict, Sheikh Mansour’s links to the RSF and his role at Manchester City are a clear way to do that.”
The UK government has dealt with something similar before with former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich. In 2022, after Russia invaded Ukraine, the UK froze Abramovich’s assets. Chelsea was later sold to new owners for over £4 billion, but Abramovich and the government are still in a legal dispute over the sale money.
If sanctions were placed on Sheikh Mansour, he would fail the Premier League’s Owners’ and Directors’ Test.
The Athletic reached out to all involved for comments but hadn’t heard back by the time of writing.