Hard work pays off for City CEO Soriano

Mike Minay, BBC Radio Manchester

When Manchester City CEO Ferran Soriano first arrived at the club he annoyed the communications team.

"I said on average we went to win one trophy every year," he joked at an event announcing OKX has the new shirt sleeve sponsor.

He added some at the club had said he’d be held accountable by those who heard that quote throughout his time if it didn’t come off.

"It’s 17 in 10 years," he continued. ‘That’s 1.7 per year. We delivered. At the time, one per year would have seemed impossible."

The club are expected to become the first British side to hit £700m in revenue when their next financial accounts are published.

It’s a growth assisted by performances on the pitch - winning games attracts fans. Fans attract marketing opportunity. Marketing opportunities attract commercial deals.

At the club’s pre-season tour of America last summer, Soriano remembers spotting something odd in the crowd in their game with Club America who, as the CEO puts it, are biggest football club in the Americas.

"We were playing ‘away’ but it was 50:50 in the stadium," he explained referencing the shirts being in the stadium.

"There was a box of people wearing blue. I asked them where they were from and they said they were Guatemalan but living in Houston.

"They said they watched the Premier League and City are the best team in the Premier League.

"These fans in Guatemala are going to be City fans for the rest of their lives. This is how it happens.

"We play one of the best, if not the best, football in the world and people become fans. That brings commercial opportunities."