So who exactly are the cash-crazy fools that have taken over Manchester City and tipped the transfer market upside down? Here are ten things you absolutely must know about Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG).
* The group is fronted by the man known as the 'Donald Trump of Abu Dhabi', Sulaiman al-Fahim, a 31-year-old whose family fortune was made from property, and hosted the Arabic version of The Apprentice, in which the winners were given $1million dollars to invest in property. He's certainly a man who knows how to whip up rivalry - a second series pitting Indians against Pakistanis begins in October.
* Al-Fahim's company Hydra Properties was set up in 2006, but already has around £1billion worth of contracts around the world.
* The group considered investing in Newcastle, Arsenal and Liverpool, but chose Manchester City because it offered the best potential for a return on their £210million investment.
* The group is essentially the investment arm of the Al Nahyan Abu Dhabi royal family, funded by assorted Sheikhs. They are fiercely competitive with their rivals from Dubai (DIC - you might have heard of them), who were also apparently interested at one stage in purchasing City. To give some idea of their financial muscle, the ruler of Abu Dhabi - Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan - is worth an estimated £13.3billion, around £2billion more than Roman Abramovich.
* Watch out Sparky. While they are laden with cash, ADUG do not appear to be blessed with a great deal of patience. After taking control of the club, al-Fahim said: "Our goal is very simple - to make Manchester City the biggest club in the Premier League and to begin with, to finish in the top four this season...We don't have a lot of time. The money is not a worry for my board."
* Important factoids: al-Fahim is president of the United Arab Emirates Chess Association, and rose 61 places to number 16 in the last edition of Arabian Power's '100 Most Powerful Arabs'.
* Other sporting interests of the group include sponsoring a Costa Rican football side, an interest in the German Bundesliga and building a football academy in Abu Dhabi with Inter Milan. Another investment vehicle owned by the royal family, Mubadala, own a 5% stake in Ferrari.
* ADUG were represented in the deal by London-based equity firm PCP and Amanda Staveley, who had been working for DIC in their as yet unsuccessful attempts to buy Liverpool.
* According to The Independent, one of the royal family is dating Pamela Anderson. Although it's not clear which member is the lucky chap, she apparently calls him the 'Milk-Sheikh'. See what she did there?
* Al-Fahim certainly seems to have a singled-minded approach to business. "You have to do what you believe is right, even if everyone else tells you it is wrong" he said. "I said that as a company we would be unique, and everyone said you can't be unique in property development. If you try, you will fail. Well, we are unique and we are successful."
NM
Your Comments
lexzowul
"what is all these bang about city take over by the ADUG, i really don't think the take over would affect the premier league in any much way. I knew when Chelsea was taken over by the Kremlin people where sounding much more than this way, everybody then thought Chelsea was gonna have all the trophies all years yet they have gotten nothing much than sacking managers one after the other. I beleive the take over is gonna be a good omen to the Premier League as the financial muscles being flexing now will Make the league more juicy..."
mrbong
"anyone saying that events at City are "the death of Football and/or The Premier League" are either Chelsea fans upset that their sugar daddy now looks a little lightweight or Liverpool fans concerned that they can't lazily claim 4th spot with ease any more. i am not City fan, but good luck to them. it's a great thing for us fans of "normal" sides to see, hope they mix it up and make it a good season. if you actually love the game, and not the idea of your side's former or bought glories, you should be thankful for this development as it can only raise the standard of the game in England all the more. "
Redvein
"Am I the only sane person unconcerned by these sensationalist events at citeh? Throwing £30 million at a Brazilian ladyboy who possesses a bit of skill and plays when he can be arsed suggests hubristic desperation on the Faustian scale. Remember when Frank the Thai arrived last year? Same old proclamations of imminent success and what happened? He buggered off back home to bribe his way out of jail. I forsee citeh getting held to ransom over many a signing, similar to Chelski, Hughes getting sacked in the summer and the Arabs turning Eastlands into an oil refinery. Football is soooooooooo transparent these days."
highlandpaddy
"IrishBlue - are you seriously suggesting that Chelsea were exercising fiscal restraint. Your club has done more than most to cause the present transfer fee/wages inflation; this Man.City deal just ups the ante even further. Don't get me wrong, in the short term it will be great if the top-four monopoly is broken, and especially exciting for Mancs if they end up with two of Europe's top clubs in the same city, a la Milan (ie, clubs with a true European pedigree). The downside is of course what happens if the arabs get bored? Is this going to be another club saddled with unsustainable debt levels? "
nari85
"lads where is all this going to end.short term it is brilliant for the clubs with sugar daddy's but what happens when they grow bored?you cannot expect clubs to be swapped around between billionaires for ever. definitely exciting times for the premiership and the people who follow it...But"
gooner_17
"I am seriously scaerd of what city can achiev... living in the UAE for 16 years i know exactly how they think and what they are capable of doing, man city are in the big times, i suggest they need a better manager though, Mancini anyone ? Al - Fahim is an inter admirer as well. "
IrishBlue
"unitedfirl - I think you'll find Chelsea didn't sign Robinho because Real took the p*** with the changing valuation - we stuck to our guns. Unlike united who changed the price they were willing to pay for Berbatov by 5mill when they were threatened with legal action for the biggest, most callous act of tapping up ever seen. "
unitedgirl
"am united through and through, but as an arab...am over the moon chelski ended up with egg on their face and no robinho..."
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