United News of Bangladesh

Khaldoon Al Mubarak, chairman of Manchester City, has long played a prominent role in the United Arab Emirates, working with world leaders including US President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron. Earlier this year, Al Mubarak sat with Trump in Davos and signed the UAE government's agreement to join the US president's Board of Peace. In June, he attended a signing ceremony with Macron at the Palace of Versailles for a business summit. The 50-year-old is also a UAE special envoy to China. He welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to Manchester City when Xi visited England in 2015. Al Mubarak's involvement in international affairs reflects his position within Abu Dhabi's ruling elite. He is the head of the $385 billion Mubadala sovereign wealth fund and serves in several other government and business roles. He advises UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and sits on the boards of Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company. He also helped develop ties between Abu Dhabi and Formula One before the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix joined the F1 calendar. When Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, now a UAE deputy prime minister, bought Manchester City in 2008, Al Mubarak was appointed chairman. Under his leadership, the club transformed from a long-time underachiever into one of Europe's most successful teams. However, an independent Premier League panel has now found that the club broke financial rules during that period. The Premier League said Tuesday that City, which has dominated English soccer over the past 15 seasons, systematically violated financial regulations. The panel said the club used “sham” commercial agreements to conceal more than 830 million pounds ($1.1 billion) in funding from its Abu Dhabi owners between 2009 and 2018. The panel also said some club witnesses gave evidence they knew was untrue. The funds helped finance expensive player transfers and wages, contributing to City's rise as a major European club. Its success brought more prize money, strengthened its global brand and helped attract leading players, including current star striker Erling Haaland. City can appeal the verdict. Reports about the ruling emerged Friday in The Athletic, prompting a response from Al Mubarak the following day. He said the legal process was not over and that the club remained confident it could prove its innocence. “The Premier League process still has a long way to run, and our confidence and intent in proving the Club's innocence is just as strong as when this began,” he said. In a rare 2009 interview with The Guardian, Al Mubarak described Manchester City as a representation of Abu Dhabi's values, including loyalty, commitment, discipline, long-term thinking and respect for history. He is also chairman of City Football Group, which owns a global network of 12 clubs, including New York City FC. An economics graduate of Tufts University near Boston, Al Mubarak has held several senior government positions in addition to leading Mubadala. His family has also experienced tragedy in public service. His father, Khalifa Al Mubarak, was a UAE diplomat and ambassador to France. He was assassinated in Paris in February 1984 when Khaldoon was 8. The killing was linked to the Abu Nidal Organization, a militant group that opposed Israel. Gulf media have reported that the UAE's royal family supported and mentored the young Al Mubarak after his father's death. A street in Abu Dhabi was renamed after his father in 2018. Al Mubarak's role at Manchester City also came under scrutiny as UEFA and the Premier League investigated the club's finances. Both major cases were linked to internal club emails and documents obtained by a hacker and whistleblower and later published by German magazine Der Spiegel in 2018. UEFA had investigated City in 2014 and 2020. In the 2020 case, the club successfully appealed a two-year Champions League ban. The leaked documents also highlighted Al Mubarak's determination to fight regulatory action. In 2014, as UEFA discussed a possible settlement over a rules violation, City lawyer Simon Cliff wrote in an email that Al Mubarak was prepared to spend 30 million pounds on top lawyers and pursue legal action for years.