Latest news with #KhaldoonAlMubarak
BBC News
02-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Q&A: Has campaign ended on a low before 2025-26 preparations?
Our football news reporter out in the United States covering Manchester City has been answering your questions on their Club World Cup campaign that ended at the hands of Al-Hilal on this first of a three-part Q&A, Shamoon Hafez looks at how the competition may affect City's preparation for the start of the Premier League asked: Do you think it's a blessing in disguise that City were eliminated? This provides the players with more rest for a better pre-season before the Premier I don't see it that way and I don't think the club will either. Pep Guardiola spoke about wanting to win the competition after earning the right to be there, so there will be major disappointment they fell at the first knockout from the embarrassment of losing to a club from the Middle East, City missed out on an extra £9.5m by not reaching the knockout stage. They banked £37.8m in total during this tournament, which is less than half the £91.9m they would have earned in going all the the outcome can't be changed, so the players can now head off on their holidays for a rest before returning to training on 28 asked: Considering City's under-par performance in the Premier League last season, and the fact the team was clearly outnumbered at the Club World Cup by a more motivated Al-Hilal, do you think the campaign ended on a low and this might affect 2025-26?Shamoon: Chairman Khaldoon Al-Mubarak and Guardiola have both said the competition was the start of the new season, rather than a continuation of the last. It went swimmingly in the group stages but they come unstuck against a well-drilled Al-Hilal side that, in the end, did a number on City by sitting back and hitting them on the new signings are exciting – Tijjani Reijnders' energy, Rayan Cherki's impact in the final third and Rayan Ait-Nouri's contributions going forward - but City are a real mess were signs of vulnerability against Wydad AC and Al-Ain in the opening two games. They were unable to capitalise but City were found out against decent needs to spend the next few weeks working on a plan to fix his backline before the start of the Premier League back to this page later on Wednesday for part two of the Q&A, which focuses on squad selection and areas to strengthen
The Sun
01-07-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Man City Club World Cup KO to Al-Hilal is embarrassment to Premier League but full price of exit may emerge next season
THE global shock was seismic. As was the embarrassment to the Premier League's pretensions of superiority. But the bigger price of Manchester City's humiliating Club World Cup exit at the hands of Saudi outfit Al-Hilal may only start to be paid in six weeks' time. 4 4 Pep Guardiola and his squad of superstars were left licking their wounds, physical and mental, in Orlando. Forget the claims that Fifa's latest bauble is a Mickey Mouse competition - losing to a collection of Prem discards and unknowns will be a kick in the proverbials. Forget Fifa President Gianni Infantino's claim that 'the new era of club football has definitely started'. He would say that, wouldn't he? But the reality is that, as far as City were concerned, this was supposed to be a showcase for their rebirth, not a public dunking. After all, remember, it was only a month ago that City chairman Khaldoon Al-Mubarak talked up the tournament, vowing: 'This is a very, very serious competition. The whole world will be watching this. 'We're going to give it our best shot. We're going there to win it.' JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS So much for that. A disappointment all the greater for the club's Abu Dhabi owners given the nationality of their conquerors. And while the failure to get beyond the last 16 comes with a £37m consolation prize in terms of City's cash windfall they will be back home as Chelsea carry the Prem flag into the latter stages, the Blues' own path to New York opened up as City are no longer their prospective semi-final opponents. Pep Guardiola joined by daughter Valentina on Man City bench at Club World Cup clash Yet the more serious cost may be to Guardiola's plans for the new season which opens next month - and potentially a pressing need for MORE spending. In that end-of-season review from Abu Dhabi, Khaldoon spoke about the players City had signed in January, talking about the changes as a 'regeneration' - one that continued through to the eve of their departure to the USA. That unprecedented-by City's standards-winter window saw the arrivals of Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov, Vitor Reis and Nico Gonzalez, while the post-season splurge brought Rayan Ait-Nouri, Rayan Cheki and Tijjani Reijnders. The combined outlay: £281m and counting. 4 Yet while Egyptian striker Marmoush hit the ground running, with seven Prem goals after his arrival from Frankfurt, it is hard to claim any of the other January signings really stood out. Cherki did score in the Club World Cup, yet only started the opener against Wydad Casablanca, and Ait-Nouri and Reijnders made more encouraging openings to their City career. But Ait-Nouri and Reijnders were the only two of the seven trusted to start against Al-Hilal, as Guardiola put more kilometres on the straining limbs of 34-year-old Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva, 30. Reis did not feature after the Wydad game while Gonzalez played an hour against no-hopers Al-Ain. The demands of a long season, plus the extra five and a half weeks - and 11,000 extra air miles - will take their toll, especially with City now having a shortened summer break before they have to step up preparation for their season opener at Wolves on August 16. City fans believe that it will all be different next season with the return to full fitness of Rodri. In the absence of the Spanish midfield lynchpin, Guardiola's side were all at sea, far too often last term. But last night in Orlando, with Rodri - admittedly still working his way back after that long lay-off - on just eight minutes into the second half, it was a familiar tale. City creating chances, lots of them, but not taking enough. Across the 120 minutes, they had 30 shots, 16 of which were on target, repelled by Morocco's 2022 World Cup keeper hero Yassine Bounou. Yet just as so often last term, horribly, horribly vulnerable on turnovers, caught cold at the back, a mess in front of Ederson. Guardiola will hope, with his fingers firmly crossed, that it was part tiredness, part a lack of real desire for a tournament that only existed in the imagination of Infantino until three years ago, part bad luck. But physically and mentally, City's players will turn up for the start of next season still carrying the baggage of the season that only ended in the early hours of Tuesday morning. And without the guiding light of the departed Kevin de Bruyne, too. You can bet your bottom dollar that Arne Slot and Mikel Arteta, in particular, are absolutely delighted.
BBC News
18-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Man City start new era - but how might Guardiola's side look?
Just 24 days on from their last Premier League game of the 2024-25 season, Manchester City will return to competitive action as they begin their Club World Cup campaign in the United Guardiola's side endured a miserable time last term but chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said this tournament will mark the start of a new season, rather than a continuation of the previous a quick turnaround, City will be pleased to jump back on to the relentless footballing treadmill with the opportunity of defending the global crown they won two years ago in Saudi said: "The World Cup is an incredible opportunity to understand we come here all together, to show who we are in the best way, playing the sport we love."Supporters of both sides sharing different continents and places - this is what we should be all around the world. Hopefully this World Cup can help people understand that."The tournament has since been expanded to 32 teams, with Fifa president Gianni Infantino declaring a "new era" for football - and the very same can be said about this City serious competition for places now, how will Guardiola's men line up this season and whose place is in danger? Arrivals and exits - Guardiola freshens things up City have set their stall out by spending more than £100m to bolster their squad for the tournament and will be heavy favourites against Moroccan champions Wydad AC in side fell below their high standards last term, failing to win a major trophy for the first time in eight years after finishing third in the league, being knocked out early in the Champions League and beaten in the FA Cup final by Crystal Spaniard let go of club legend Kevin de Bruyne and has freshened up his midfield with the signings of £43m box-to-box Dutchman Tijjani Reijnders from AC Milan and Lyon's French maverick Rayan Cherki for £ d'Or winner Rodri and Oscar Bobb are now back and available - after missing most of last season with injury - while £31m signing from Wolves, Rayan Ait-Nouri, will allow City to operate with a specialist left-back for the first time since the departure of Benjamin Mendy."I'm really happy that we were able to bring in such quality reinforcements," said Brazil winger Savinho. "They're training really well and integrating into a group that is really settled so that is good to see."I'm looking forward to getting on to the pitch with them."With Nico Gonzalez, Omar Marmoush, Vitor Reis and Abdukodir Khusanov joining for £200m in January and 2024 acquisition from River Plate, Claudio Echeverri, also now at the club, Guardiola has a multitude of options with a total of nine arrivals since shows Man City mean serious business but does leave plenty of questions about the squad - with Guardiola claiming he needed a smaller Savinho, James McAtee, Echeverri, Rico Lewis and Jack Grealish all missed out on matchday squads towards the end of last season and, with 34 players listed in their first-team squad, departures are 27-man Club World Cup squad does not include Kyle Walker, Kalvin Phillips and Grealish, with all three set for the exit - if deals can be with Guardiola adamant he did not "want to have 24, 25, 26 players when everyone is fit" in his squad, there remain some big decisions to be player who confirmed he will stay is midfielder Bernardo Silva, who has been appointed who enters the final year of his contract, said: "I have had options in the past and this year - like last year - my option is to stay at Man City."Pick your Man City starting XI from the squad listed below. New arrival Lijnders leads training Guardiola has reshaped his backroom staff too, with coaches Juanma Lillo and Inigo Dominguez their training sessions at Lynn University in Florida, City were looking sharp - crisply passing balls around in triangles and drilling first-time finishes into the mini assistant coach Pep Lijnders was laying down the law as he led training, screaming for "movement", "quality" and "speed" in their experienced Dutchman has been brought in to work alongside Guardiola after a successful period as assistant to Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, where he helped the Reds win the Premier League and Champions League."We had a conversation with Jurgen but not about Pep," said Guardiola. "It was a long conversation. I suggested I was thinking about Pep and he gave me his high opinion."I asked permission from Jurgen of course, I didn't want to interfere. I asked if it would be a problem and he said 'absolutely not'. After one or two days we decided yes."Former defender, and City youth team coach, Kolo Toure has also been drafted in to help out during the tournament and was assisting during the warm-up, as well as laying out bibs and season was derailed by a number of injuries to key players, the biggest being a serious knee injury suffered by midfielder Rodri early in the he returned to full training at the back end of last term and played the last six minutes in the final home game against Bournemouth."When you see Rodri, he won the Ballon d'Or here," said Frenchman Cherki. "It's clear that with Manchester City, it's possible and I am here for this."The 28-year-old's influence on the team cannot be understated, the glue that holds the whole project together, and they will certainly be strengthened by his return to the first remains to be seen whether the new boys will be thrown in straight away, but the big names like Erling Haaland, Ruben Dias and Silva are all involved and City's powerful squad makes them one of the favourites to lift the placing in Group G may well determine how far they go in this tournament, and is likely to come down to the third game against Juventus on 26 June in second and it is likely to be a monumental last-16 meeting against Real Madrid in the scorching heat of Miami - finish top, and the route opens up for a run to the latter stages in New York.
BBC News
17-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Man City Q&A: Pep to go strong at Club World Cup?
Through Tuesday, and before Manchester City's opening Club World Cup match on Wednesday, we are putting your questions to our football news reporter Shamoon are some of his answers on how strong Pep Guardiola might go in the tournament:Mark asked: Is this a watered down competition? I cannot imagine Pep playing a strong team, never mind a 'first 11' pick. However, it is an ideal opportunity to blood new signings and some fringe players. How many subs per match? And how many matches could we end up playing?Shamoon: Thanks for the question, Mark, but sorry to say I am going to have to absolutely disagree with you on this have spent over £100m to bolster their squad for this competition and have left the youth team players at home. They mean serious business here in America and it will be interesting to see whether Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki and Rayan Ait-Nouri will be thrown straight in on you saw the interview chairman Khaldoon Al-Mubarak gave at the end of the season, he made it clear City were travelling stateside to win – if that is the main man's view, boss Guardiola and his players will be under no illusions at the task in with Premier League games, you can name up to nine substitutes and five changes can be made. A run to the final will mean City playing a total of seven asked: Is Rodri likely to play in the tournament?Shamoon: Journalists who have travelled over have been fortunate to be invited to City's training base in Boca Raton in Florida.I was quite close up to Rodri the other day and he looks in incredible shape - his biceps were bulging out from his vest and he looked in good spirits. Some of the passes he was knocking around were a delight to I spoke to club sources a couple of months ago, the target was for him to return to action during the Club World Cup. They were always building up to that. Instead, the Spaniard was back earlier than expected, playing in the final home game of the season against me, Rodri looks fit and if I was picking the team on Wednesday, I would give him an hour against a Wydad AC side City are heavy favourites to back at 15:00 BST for the final part of the Q&A.
The Sun
13-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Man City SLASH ticket prices by up to 43% in massive win for fans after years or protesting and TEN YEARS of rises
MANCHESTER CITY have slashed matchday ticket prices following several fan protests. The Cityzens came under fire this season due to a rise in ticket costs. 1 Fans led demonstrations to protest the issue towards the end of the campaign, with thousands refusing to take to their seats at the start of some Premier League fixtures. Club officials subsequently took action, with chairman Khaldoon al Mubarak promising to find a solution. Lengthy negotiations were then held with City's fan advisory board before Mubarak and Co agreed to lower prices. From next season, fans will be charged between £40 and £60 for Category A games, which involve the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal. There will be a further £5 reduction for Category B games and a £10 reduction for Category C fixtures. The cheapest tickets for Category A fixtures are down 43 per cent, with the most expensive down by 22 per cent. Man City are yet to release ticket prices for Champions League fixtures, although they are expected to come down as well. The news will come as a major boost for supporters, who have continued fighting to freeze ticket prices. City Matters, the club's fan advisory board, said in a statement on Friday: "We warmly welcome this announcement from the club, making matchday attendance more accessible and ensuring a vibrant atmosphere at the Etihad Stadium. "Through our dialogue with the club, the matchday pricing reductions, season ticket price freeze, release of new season tickets, and Flexi Gold season ticket fee adjustments highlight the value of fan voices through City Matters. "This announcement shows the club's commitment to City Matters and is a positive end to this season and our working relationship. "City Matters look forward to continued engagement and transparency with the club to achieve our shared ambition for Manchester City's success."
