Khaldoon Al Mubarak: Watching Man City win Champions League with Sheikh Mansour 'special'

In wide-ranging interview, Manchester City's chairman shares his views on club's historic treble, Erling Haaland and charges made by the Premier League

Khaldoon Al Mubarak has described watching Manchester City win the Champions League final alongside owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed as “special” as well as relief at finally ending the club's wait to get their hands on the European Cup.

A 1-0 victory over Inter Milan at Turkey's Ataturk Olympic Stadium on June 10 completed a historic treble for Manchester City. A week earlier they lifted the FA Cup for a seventh time thanks to a 2-1 win over Manchester United having also collected the 2022/23 Premier League trophy.

It was City's third league title in succession and their seventh since the City Football Group purchased the club on September 1, 2008.

Since that day the goal has always been to see City crowned kings of Europe, and Manchester City chairman Al Mubarak described in a video interview what it meant to witness the triumph alongside Sheikh Mansour, UAE Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court in Istanbul.

“The most special. I mean, it's incredible,” Al Mubarak said in an interview released by the club Monday. “For Sheikh Mansour, given everything he has given to this club, given all the commitment, years of support, love, he's given passion to the club. And at the pinnacle, the final of the Champions League, to be here, to be able to attend it. He has so much love for this club and working with him over the last 15 years as part of City Football Group. He deserves this. He really does. And I'm so happy he was there yesterday.”

City have reached one previous Champions League final, losing the 2021 championship match to Premier League rivals Chelsea. They were knocked out of the semi-finals by Real Madrid last year in gut-wrenching circumstances but prevailed in the 2023 final thanks to Rodri's strike on 68 minutes.

“Relief. Relief.” said Al Mubarak, when asked to reflect on City's European achievement.

“It reminds me, winning this, it reminds me back to 2011/12, that QPR game, the first Premier League. There was relief in that game and then happiness. With the Champions League, we've tried so hard for so many years, you know that. And then to finally, finally do it last night, the first couple hours until now, it's relief, it's happiness, but it's really more relief. We finally have that trophy right here.”

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, left and chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak celebrate with the trophy after City's 1-0 victory over Inter Milan in the Champions League final at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium, Istanbul. PA

Manchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano, manager Pep Guardiola and chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak celebrate with the Champions League trophy after the team won a historic treble of European Cup, FA Cup and Premier League. Getty Images

Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak and manager Pep Guardiola. PA

Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak poses with the European Cup. AFP

Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak embraces Manchester City's German midfielder Ilkay Gundogan after the team's 1-0 victory over Inter Milan to win the Champions League for the first time in the club's history. AFP

Khaldoon Al Mubarak, right, and Ferran Soriano celebrate with the European Cup on the pitch. AFP

Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak with the Champions League Trophy following victory over Inter Milan at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium, Istanbul. PA

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, President of the UAE, left, Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, centre, and chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak during the Champions League final match at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium, Istanbul. PA

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola greets Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak as he goes to collect the FA Cup after City's 2-1 win over Manchester United at Wembley, in London, on June 3, 2023. AFP

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, right, celebrates with chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak after being crowned 2022/23 Premier League champions. EPA

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland and the club's chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak. EPA

City's late season flourish saw them leapfrog longtime Premier League leaders Arsenal in the title race to be crowned champions with two games to spare.

It was the fourth time under Guardiola's stewardship City have won the Premier League and Al Mubarak said the team's winning mentality is what made him most proud.

“It's actually the record I'm most proud of because it's a testament to everything we're doing and all the hard work that this club and every employee, everyone associated with the club, I think is so proud of because there was a Uefa dinner on Friday night, and I was asked a similar question: what's so special about Manchester City and about this group?

“And I said, it's that winning mentality, this winning mentality that produces the consistency you've just described year in, year out, not for one year, not for two years, not for three years, 10 years across every competition, every competition we play in at every level. We play to win, we play to win.”

Last summer's acquisition of Erling Haaland proved inspired, with the Norwegian striker turning into the final piece of the puzzle for City to crack Europe.

The 22-year-old set a host of goals record to sign off his debut season at the Etihad with 52 in 53 games, and Al Mubarak recalled his first conversation with the striker after signing him from Borussia Dortmund.

“What amazed me about Erling is the confidence. He's got something special, confidence with respect,” said the City chairman.

“And to be having that conversation post signing your contract with your chairman and saying at the end of that conversation, ‘Mr chairman, I'm going to win the Champions League for you. I'm here to win the Champions League for Manchester City and we're going to win it’ a year ago is really a estament to the greatness of this player. And to show you where Erling is going, this is the beginning. And the scary part, this is just the beginning for him.”

Man City season ratings

MANCHESTER CITY 2022-23 SEASON RATINGS: Ederson -7. No Golden Glove this year but remains vital to the way City build from the back. Getty

Stefan Ortega - 7. Enjoyed great success in FA Cup conceding just a single goal in six matches. EPA

Kyle Walker -7. Ended the season at the top of his form after a dip earlier in the campaign. Reuters

Rico Lewis - 6. Teenager can be proud of first season at top level. Made 14 appearances and a big impression. PA

John Stones - 9. Season of his life playing as a central defender, right back and midfielder. Class. Hard to fault. AFP

Ruben Dias - 8. Missed a chunk of the season but was back to commanding best on the run in. Getty

Aymeric Laporte - 5. Couldn’t force his way into the starting eleven often enough but dependable. Getty

Manuel Akanji - 7.5. Turned out to be a bargain buy. His experience and class shone through in tough moments. Getty

Nathan Ake - 8. Most improved player this season. Key to build up play down the left and reliable in the middle. Getty

Joao Cancelo - 4. Never reached his brilliant best and left for Bayern Munich on loan mid-season. Future up in air. Getty

Sergio Gomez - 5. Some glimpses of class going forward but like others before him found it hard in first season under Pep. Getty

Rodri - 9. Probably the best holding midfielder in the world at present. Took his game to new heights. Getty

Kalvin Phillips - 5. Did little wrong but struggled to make an impact with Rodri in such commanding form ahead of him. Getty

Bernardo Silva - 7. If this was his last season at City, he went out in style. The chief architect of Real Madrid’s UCL exit. Getty

Ilkay Gundogan - 9. The bigger the occasion the better he played. Captain was pivotal to all the big moments in the campaign. AFP

Kevin De Bruyne - 8. Maintained his ridiculously high standards as one of the top playmakers the game has ever seen. EPA

Phil Foden - 6.5. Stop-start season thanks to injuries but his class shone through when he got a run. Getty

Riyad Mahrez - 6. His close control remains mesmerising and his goals played a vital part. EPA

Jack Grealish - 8. Vying with Ake for the biggest leap of improvement. Fully earned Pep’s trust. PA

Cole Palmer - 5. Just didn’t happen for the homegrown youngster who still has bags of potential and time on his side. Reuters

Julian Alvarez - 7. Overshadowed at City by Haaland’s exploits but a fine season for the World Cup winner. Getty

Erling Haaland - 9.5. Would have been 10 but Pep tends to improve players in their second season! Simply a goal-machine. PA

Pep Guardiola - 9. Re-invented his tactics masterfully and turned the team into a winning machine with an incredible mentality. Getty

Al Mubarak said he was unable to comment on the more than 100 charges against the club made by the Premier League in February, saying he would give “very blunt views, I promise you that” once the legal process had concluded.

He said the charges should not deflect away from the club's outstanding achievements.

“It’s very frustrating because it takes so much from the great work that’s happening at this club and it’s happening not just on the football pitch. The football pitch – we talked about that, what these players have achieved this year, the treble, is incredible. I hope people focus and judge them for their football and what they’re achieving on the pitch and what they’re achieving in every competition they’re in.”

On the future, Al Mubrarak said City “have so much more to achieve” and “hopefully next year we'll be able to produce another special year.”