Manchester City charges do not taint treble, insists chairman Mubarak

Khaldoon al-Mubarak has promised to voice strong views when the time is right on Manchester City’s Premier League charges for alleged financial wrongdoing and has insisted the allegations should not taint the winning of the treble.

In February City were accused of beaching the rules on more than 100 occasions. The club deny wrongdoing and the chairman was asked about the case in his annual review.

Mubarak said: “I can’t talk about them unfortunately for legal reasons. And what I would typically always do is comment after, so I think we’re going to go through the legal process. These are proceedings that take whatever time they take and when we’re done we’ll have a conversation. I’ll give you my very blunt views, I promise you that. I have very strong views on that.”

City claimed only the second treble in English football history and Mubarak insisted the charges should not adversely colour the achievement of Pep Guardiola’s side.

“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,” he said. “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. That’s the reality.

“The club as a whole is well run, is very well run. Today, the value of this group is over $6bn. We’ve created so much value – we’ve brought in world-class investors. Why? Because we have a commercial machine here that is one of the best in the world. Our executives are being targeted by the best teams in the world – always.”

Mubarak described City as “the No 1 football brand in the world”, saying: