Khaldoon Al Mubarak

Man City chairman hits back at criticism from La Liga boss over spending, calls it ironic

Tebas blasted the Premier League champions last week insisting their state-funded spending and financial muscle was threatening the very fabric of European football.

But the Man City chairman fired back at the Spanish league’s chief accusing him of misrepresenting facts, holding a grudge against the Premier League and dragging the ethnicity of City’s owners into the mix.

“He talks about how we distorted the market? There is a hypocrisy in this statement that is ironic. Number one, let’s look at the Spanish league, the time of breaking records on player acquisitions, I mean, who started that?" he said.

“Let’s go back to the world records, Figo, Zidane. These huge jumps in these transfers, where did they happen? Mr Tebas should look back at the history of that league and how distortion that has happened throughout the ages.

“And then you look back at transfers. In the top ten transfers of all time, Manchester City has not a single player in that. So I don’t really take it seriously and I ask our fans to always put it in context.

“Always look at facts. And I think people with glass homes shouldn’t be throwing rocks."

Tebas accused City and Qatar-backed Paris St-Germain of being “state-run playthings" damaging European football by inflating the transfer market and pumping oil money into their clubs in flagrant contravention of Financial Fair Play rules.

But Al Mubarak insisted not only were City confident of being cleared of financial irregularities but that Tebas was wrong to bring the ethnic origin of their owners into his argument.

“I think there’s something deeply wrong in bringing ethnicity into the conversation," he said. “This is just ugly. I think the way he is combining teams because of ethnicity. I find that very disturbing to be honest."

City’s boss also insisted La Liga were taking shots not only at his club but the whole Premier League.

“It’s not just an attack on Manchester City, its a clear attack on the Premier League and that has been consistent coming from that way," he added.

“Let’s not forget this is the best league in the world and if you look at this season, there is no better testament to this statement where the two European Competitions the Champions League and Europa League, the finals are being competed by English club.

“That’s a fact and that bothers a lot of people in many places."

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1132408/Man-City-news-La-Liga-Khaldoon-Al-Mubarak