City score at home and away

Sheikh Mansour’s investment in Manchester City has aided the club, the city and the UAE

Manchester City has become one of the most competitive clubs in the EPL, and a potent marketing machine. Andrew Yates / AFP

When Sheikh Mansour bought Manchester City in 2008, he was prepared to play the long game. And now it is clear that his investment is paying off, with the club announcing last week that it has made a profit. City's chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, has said it is now "a profitable, self-sustainable club competing at the highest level in world football".

While the first profit was a relatively modest £10 million (Dh56.7m), the club has already been a great success in many other ways. In the UAE, we have taken the team to our hearts, with many people who had never previously watched an English Premier League game becoming fully-fledged fans. Through personal appearances by star players and support for projects such as the City Football Schools at Zayed Sports City in the capital, the club has given young Emiratis an interest in the world game and taught them valuable physical and life skills. These activities have also generated support for the local football league and opened up a potential career pathway for promising players.

City have become one of the most competitive clubs in the Premier League, and a potent marketing machine. Each time a game is televised from Etihad Stadium, millions of football fans around the world see Abu Dhabi branding around the pitch, promoting our capital city as a desirable place to visit and do business.

The economy of Manchester has also greatly benefited from Sheikh Mansour’s investment, with the club last year opening a £200 million training facility called the City Football Academy. Much of the construction work was carried out by companies employing local workers, giving back to the Manchester community and its long-time supporter base. City’s aim for the academy is to produce a steady stream of home-grown talent and reduce the club’s reliance on big-money signings.

Under its Emirati management, City have truly proven to be a winner, both on the field and off.