Guardiola and the cash machine: here’s how much Manchester City, Inter Milan’s opponents in the Champions League final, have spent since the emirs
Like a David against Goliath. An unequal challenge. Because on the one hand you have a team that has spent everything possible and imaginable to get to this point, while on the other hand you have a team whose starting eleven includes elements taken for free. See Onana and Dzeko, for example.
A cash machine for Guardiola practically. An ATM with no limits. That’s the term Fabio Capello used this morning to describe the Citizens’ spending in these years of emirs. Years that have never brought the Champions League, only touched two seasons ago with Chelsea in the final in the English derby. But that was taken away by Tuchel, with Havertz’s goal. But how much has City spent over the years? The calculations inside the pockets of Guardiola’s team were done by Football and Finance, which has always been attentive – and the name of the site says it all – to what goes on inside the budgets of the various clubs.
Guardiola and the ATM, all of City’s figures
From 2008 to 2022 – which are then the latest budgets available – the figure is monstrous. “From ownership, €1.54 billion has been poured into Manchester City’s coffers in the form of loans (later converted into capital) or capital increases, all without taking into account how much the Emirati ownership has poured and pours in terms of income on the profit and loss account (figures that have often ended up in the crosshairs of UEFA for violations of the FPF but also the Premier League),” it reads.
Guardiola, leads City and seeks Treble (Lapresse)
This, however, has also increased turnover from 109 million in 2009, to 712 million at the end of last season. Costs grew – but much less – and at the end of the day, net expenses of 1.5 billion were realised. Yes, we can safely say that Capello is right. And if Guardiola doesn’t win the Champions League again, then we can safely speak of failure, regardless of what the Catalan says in his interviews. However…