This is a weak strain of how Abu Dhabi does its business. And make no mistake, Abu Dhabi is all of modern Manchester City, even if all of modern Manchester City isn’t Abu Dhabi.
It’s why the dictator and Crown Prince, Mohamed bin Zayed, installed his most trusted man Khaldoon al Mubarak as chairman there to keep an eye on the investment. Interestingly crucial people also say he plays a vital role in both Yemen and now in their expansion into Libya. It’s also why his half-brother Mansour bin Zayed is down as owner but sources say nothing big gets the go-ahead in Abu Dhabi and this Manchester City without his going upstairs.
And it’s why the club’s key PR man Simon Pearce pops up in leaked emails conversing with former US secretary of defence Jim Mattis and retired Australian general Mike Hindmarsh who is heavily involved in Abu Dhabi’s strategy in Yemen. There they discuss trying to stop reporting of atrocities getting out, as well trying to bring media to sanitised sites to show a very different version. In those emails, Al Mubarak is eventually included as well.