Soriano in firing line but he will dodge the bullets

GIvEN the acceleration of Manchester City’s growth, and the huge infrastructure improvements since Sheik Mansour’s takeover in 2008, any ire was unlikely to be directed at the owner.

There were, however, rumblings from staff about chief executive Ferran Soriano’s lack of communication surrounding City’s involvement in the European Super League, coming only a year after huge uncertainty amid the UEFA ban and subsequent appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Soriano insisted then that City would be victorious on appeal and he was proven correct.

This time there came displeasure from supporters and staff at how the Super League episode had played out. Soriano held personal Zoom meetings with employees, in which he briefed them on the club’s position.

Those talks are believed to have alleviated misgivings, providing a greater understanding of how and why developments transpired the way they did.

By this point, City were probably already planning their exit from the breakaway group of clubs. They had cancelled a meeting with players that day — rescheduled for tomorrow — given the fast-moving situation and their impending departure from the ESL group, which was sealed hours after manager Pep Guardiola’s forthright press conference.

In that, the Catalan maintained his ‘trust in the club’ — taken to mean primarily Soriano and chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak. City subsequently ‘ enacted withdrawal procedures’ from the ESL ahead of their Premier League counterparts.

Sources maintained yesterday that Soriano’s job is not under threat. The 53-year- old has his detractors but is seen as a key driver of the club’s growth since joining in 2012. Commercial deals have soared exponentially; the City Football Group model — Soriano’s brainchild — has taken off.

There is a belief that City have kept enough traditionalists in the organisation alongside the business and profit- focused executives.

Yet there is an acceptance that bridges need rebuilding and that started yesterday with a heartfelt apology sent directly to club members.

In the wider context, it was interesting to note UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin’s statement.

‘It takes courage to admit a mistake but I never doubted City had the ability and common sense to make that decision,’ said Ceferin, who attended a City Champions League match last season. ‘They are a real asset for the game and I am delighted to be working with them for a better future for the European game.’