As my friend so eloquently puts it, City are still his team, but Manchester City have long since ceased to be his club. Manchester City Football Club is merely now the front end of the money making CFG franchise.
There was not one single iota of consideration to fans given in the pricing of these tickets. It was done with a specific aim of generating a guaranteed income for the night.
Fans in the stadium are now nothing more than a visual backdrop, so the game can be peddled around the world as a great TV spectacle.