Manchester City owner under investigation for ties to Russia – Kommersant

Deputy Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and owner of Manchester City Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan may lose his football club due to “alleged links with Russia”, reports Sport.es. Currently, according to the publication, he is under investigation.

According to Sport.es, the issue related to the owner of the football club is under the control of British Foreign Secretary James Cleverley. An appeal about the need to check Mansour ibn Zayed Al Nahyan came from a “pro-Ukrainian law firm.” According to the publication, the sheikh is suspected of helping Russian entrepreneurs transfer money to the UAE.

If the information is confirmed, Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan could lose the club, as English Premier League rules mean owners can be removed from management for human rights violations and tax evasion.

Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan is a member of the ruling royal family of the emirate of Abu Dhabi, he owns the CFG holding, which owns nine football clubs, including the English Manchester City. He acquired this club in 2008.

I wrote about the sheikh’s alleged connections with Russia back in April 2022 Bloomberg. The agency, citing sources, claimed that Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan provides assistance to wealthy Russians in transferring funds to the UAE. Bloomberg noted that he “has long been involved in the development of relations between the UAE and Russia,” but the importance of this role has increased since the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine.