ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22

OUR
JOURNEY
MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 2
 CHAIRMAN’S STATEMENT 04
CEO’S MESSAGE 06
OUR TEAMS 08
OUR CITYZENS 41
OUR COMMUNITY 63
OUR BUSINESS 82

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 3

 CHAIRMAN’S
STATEMENT
MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 4
Khaldoon Al Mubarak, Chairman

Ten years after winning our first Premier League title, we clinched Across all of our teams, we have been very deliberate about maintaining high-quality squads and
infusing the talent developed locally in our Academy with exciting players from around the world.
our sixth – in the same thrilling circumstances – in the final minutes
of the last game of the season. This time against Aston Villa. As we continue to build on the 2021-22 report and successes, we were delighted that Norwegian
international Erling Haaland decided to join the Club this summer, continuing the legacy his father
These amazing and historic moments – and everything that has happened between them Alfie started with us in the early-2000s.
– are borne from the same organisational philosophy and passion for success, and an ever-
As we said hello to new, exciting talents, we also said goodbye to legends of the game
evolving approach to how both are manifested.
in Fernandinho, Jill Scott and Karen Bardsley.
In 2008, we gave ourselves the target of exceeding the benchmarks that had been set by others
Three players that were not only instrumental in bringing success on the pitch for more
within football; and in doing so, to also exceed the new standards that we believed leading clubs
than eight years, but who also mentored young players and had an active role in our
would achieve in the time it would take us to catch-up.
community work in Manchester and further afield.
Our aim was clear – to one day be the Club that set the benchmark for others.
Their contribution to the growth and success of City will never be forgotten. They brought
The statistics and results show that in many ways we are beginning to achieve our long-term to life the aims and targets we set. They were amongst the first to invest their talents and
ambition. As the 2021-22 season ended, our men’s team, under Pep Guardiola’s stewardship, lifted trust into the grand plans we had – and as such they will always be part of the City family.
the Premier League trophy for the fourth time in five years; our youth teams won the U18 league
This year we also celebrated the tenth anniversary of Sergio Agüero’s iconic goal against
titles and the Premier League 2 for the second successive year. A clean sweep of Premier League
QPR that brought us our first Premier League title. This gave us the opportunity to honour
titles two years in a row. In addition, our women’s team qualified for the Champions League for
his accomplishments and we unveiled a statue in celebration of his achievements. His
the seventh successive season. Over the summer, seven City players went on to lift the UEFA
likeness rightly joined those of Vincent Kompany and David Silva outside the Etihad Stadium.
Women’s EURO 2022 trophy.
Sergio’s contribution to City in a defining era for the Club cannot be overstated. He is without
Important off-field metrics also gave us the right indications. Our motivation to place the COVID-19
doubt one of the greatest players that has ever played the game.
pandemic firmly behind us helped our talented people achieve the most successful financial year
in the Club’s history; the best players in world football are making us their destination of choice; our CFG also continued its forward momentum this year. In Manchester, CFG is a partner in Co-Op
player trading was executed with great skill and positive financial outcomes, and our commercial Live, a multi-purpose, entertainment arena due to open in 2023 on the Etihad Campus.
partnerships continued to deepen and expand by geography and sector.
This will be the largest UK indoor arena and will play a pivotal role in CFG's ambitions to develop
But football does not stand still and other leading clubs continue to evolve and develop. the Etihad Campus as a global sport, leisure and entertainment destination, as well as being
We therefore need to constantly challenge ourselves to improve upon what we have achieved. a significant source of community, employment and economic opportunity for Manchester.
This means innovating further in Manchester and beyond. Reimagining ourselves and how we
Elsewhere, Melbourne City FC and New York City FC won their respective leagues in Australia
move forward in Manchester and through City Football Group (CFG), the industry-leading,
and the USA and, in Spain, Girona was promoted into La Liga – with all teams across the group
multi-club organisation that Manchester City sits at the heart of.
playing in the distinctive, possession-based, attacking style that is now part of our DNA.
If we are to be true to the efforts of all of those people that have contributed over the last 14 years
Finally, I cannot talk about the City DNA without mentioning Mike Summerbee, our ‘Buzzer’.
to deliver our current successes, we must challenge ourselves to question everything we accept
as optimal, and to define new and unprecedented goals and the right strategies to achieve them. Heartfelt congratulations go to Mike, who was awarded an OBE this year in recognition of his
selfless and enduring commitment to this Club and the many charitable causes he supports.
This is the task that Sheikh Mansour, our shareholders, the Board and I have set our management
It is such richly deserved recognition for his immense contribution to the game both as a player
team. In doing so we recognise the fundamental truth that continuously delivering football
and as an ambassador.
success for our fans will also continue to create value for our shareholders.
As we reflect on the 2021-22 season, I do so with immense pride in the work and commitment
The City Football Academy (CFA) is an obvious example of that marriage between football
of all of our City family, that has allowed us to emerge from the pandemic with strong finances
success and value creation. Since it opened in 2014, season after season, the CFA has
and further on-pitch successes.
consistently developed players that can thrive in the most competitive leagues in the world.
Our new signings and Academy graduates promise even more exciting times ahead. We should
The Academy players who became regulars in City’s first team this year are simply the tip of the
feel uplifted by the collective achievements of so many and look to the future with anticipation,
iceberg: since 2011-12 almost 200 Academy graduates have gone on to have active professional
knowing our Club is committed to accomplish so much more.
careers in the Premier League, lower English leagues or in the main European leagues.

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 5

 CEO’S
MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22
MESSAGE 6
Ferran Soriano, CEO

Premier League Champions again, for the fourth time in five years. Overall, Manchester City generated record revenues of £613.0 million and record profits
of £41.7 million, the latter being more than double the previous Club record.
Record revenues and record profits. The 2021-22 season left us
with a lot to be proud of. I also want to highlight that our community programmes continue to deliver outstanding
results too, using football to improve people’s lives in Manchester and more than 20 other cities
If anything is more difficult than winning, it is winning again. Being able to understand that globally. We are so proud of the collective impact created through our local City in the Community
previous successes mean nothing when a new competition starts takes a rare talent. And to win initiatives, our global Cityzens Giving campaign – in which we've invested £5.5 million to date –
again takes character, humility and resilience. The Manchester City men’s first team has shown all and wider causes we have supported, like the MCR Ukraine Welcome Fund.
of this, winning the Premier League title back-to-back twice this decade, and winning the trophy
When City Football Group (CFG) was founded back in 2013, we had the objective to deliver
four times in the last five years.
the exciting and attacking style that we call “beautiful football”, and to develop the best footballing
Our young teams delivered outstanding success, too. Our EDS team won the Premier League 2 talent, globally.
and our U18 team won both the North and the National league – meaning our top three men’s
We are truly delighted with our progress so far. Over the last five seasons, we have won the
teams won their leagues for the second year in a row. This is an unprecedented collective
top league in six countries (UK, US, Japan, India, Australia, and Bolivia), achieved promotion for
achievement and points to the bright future for our Academy graduates.
three teams to the top leagues in Spain, France and Uruguay, and won a total of 23 trophies.
As ever in football, this season was not without its challenges, and it was painful to exit the We have exciting players and talented coaches from many nationalities moving across our
Champions League and FA Cup at the semi-final stage. Our women’s team also suffered in teams, sharing a passion for the football we play, and the methodology we have developed.
the early part of the season, with a significant number of injuries, but they rallied to clinch What started as a dream and a commitment, is now a solid reality.
the Continental Tyres Cup and ended up in third place in the league.
And we are not standing still – we continue to seek new opportunities. In July 2022,
Challenges make us hungrier, more determined to succeed, and give us all a shared sense we welcomed Italian team Palermo FC into the Group, a big, historical club, for which
of purpose. Ultimately, the 2021-22 season was representative of the football standards that we have great plans.
we have set ourselves as we continued to deliver on our ownership’s vision and plans.
The last ten years have been the most successful in Manchester City’s history, and I am certain
From a business perspective, this was the first season in which we could begin to put the the next decade will be even better. We have more to achieve, and you can be sure we will do
financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic behind us, and we did it breaking Club records everything we can to ensure that the Club cements its place among the very best in the world.
for both revenues and profits.
We will do this by continuing to work extremely hard, by learning from both our successes and
Our strong revenue performance was due to multiple factors, but ultimately driven by the our failures and by sharing the same ambition and commitment to success throughout our
“beautiful football” we play and the continuous fan growth that it generates; more fans, more organisation: from our Owners, Chairman, and Board through Pep Guardiola and Txiki Begiristain;
audiences, more people in the stadium, and more partners that want to be commercially all of our coaching and technical staff; and every player and employee – the people
associated with Manchester City. of Manchester City who we thank for so much hard work.

The return of fans made the Etihad Stadium feel like home again. We invested in improving Of course, our motivation is to deliver for the people without whom we cannot succeed – our
facilities whilst we played behind closed doors, and it was gratifying to see our fans making incredible fans all over the world, the Cityzens that share a common passion for Manchester City.
the most of the experiences on offer.
We know how difficult it is, but our aim will always be to win again... and again.
Over the last five years, we have seen incredible growth in our global fan numbers.
In the US, where we held our pre-season tour in summer 2022, it was encouraging to
see the incredibly large number of blue shirts at our games and how our international
fanbase is enjoying our football.

We also conducted our transfer business optimally, welcoming new players

and seeing others go on to new challenges, generating important profits for our Club.

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 7

 OUR
TEAMS
MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 8
 MEN’S
MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22
TEAM 9
It matters how we perform in the big moments,
under the toughest circumstances. Resilience,
passion, courage. That is what it takes to be
such regular winners.
Pep Guardiola, Manager

Manchester City ended the 2021-22 season winning

the Premier League trophy for a remarkable fourth time
in five years.

A decade after Sergio Agüero’s iconic 93:20 goal, the title

race once again went down to a home game on the last
day of the season.

Despite being 0-2 down to Aston Villa with 15 minutes to

go, a remarkable period of three goals in five minutes turned
the game on its head in a dramatic fashion, with City winning
3-2 and ending the season as champions.

In addition to clinching the Premier League, the team also

reached the semi-finals of the Champions League, losing
6-5 on aggregate to eventual winners Real Madrid.

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 10

CHAMPIONS SEMI-FINALISTS FOURTH ROUND SEMI-FINALISTS 2021-22 At A Glance: Men

Our men’s team celebrate

a fourth Premier League title
in five years

PREMIER LEAGUE FA CUP CARABOU CUP CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Source: Manchester City

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 11

TEAM ETHOS
It was a year in which every player made a significant Although the team is always heralded before individual honours,
contribution. The epitome of a team game. there were many accolades garnered by the winning City squad.

Throughout the Premier League campaign, nine players Academy graduate Phil Foden was awarded Professional
created 30 or more chances and ten provided four or more Footballers Association (PFA) Young Player of the Year for the
assists. In addition to this, eight players scored between second consecutive season and Kevin De Bruyne was named
seven and 15 league goals. Premier League Player of the season for the second time in
three years.
City’s clinical approach to set pieces was also a contributing
factor to their success. Excluding penalties, they scored 22 João Cancelo, De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva were named
goals from set pieces in the Premier League while conceding in the 2021-22 PFA Premier League Team of the Year.
just one goal in this manner. Their positive differential of
City received the highest number of nominations across the
21 goals between set piece goals scored and conceded is
men’s and women’s categories at the 2021-22 Ballon d’Or, with
the largest on record for any club since 2008-09 (when this
Silva, De Bruyne, Cancelo, Foden, Riyad Mahrez and Lucy Bronze
data was first collected for the Premier League).
all receiving nominations – and goalkeeper Ederson shortlisted for
The season ended with a farewell to a champion of the team the Yashin Trophy, the equivalent goalkeeping award. At the awards
ethos in Fernandinho, who departed after nine years during ceremony in October 2022, Manchester City was named Club
which he established a reputation as one of the greatest of the Year. Additionally, De Bruyne finished third in the race for the
defensive midfielders in Premier League history. Ballon d'Or – marking the first time a Manchester City player has
been in the final three for the prestigious award – and Ederson was
The Brazilian international, an inspirational captain, won
third in the Yashin Trophy.
five Premier League titles, six League Cups, an FA Cup and
a Community Shield. The embodiment of a players’ player, No fewer than 19 of the first team squad were called up
Fernandinho was presented with a mosaic which has been to their national teams throughout the course of the season.
installed at the 80-acre City Football Academy next to
At the end of the season, alongside Fernandinho the Club also
a pitch dedicated to him.
bade farewell to three players – Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus
and Oleksandr Zinchenko – who all made huge contributions
to the first team in the last few years.

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 12

Player accolades
PFA Team of the Year Premier League Player of the Season Premier League Golden Glove
20 clean sheets (joint winner),
3,908 touches The most of any PFA Team of the Year
awarded for third successive season
player in the Premier League

João Kevin
Cancelo
Premier League, PFA
De Bruyne Ederson
MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 13
Premier League Most Powerful Goal Premier League Young Player of the Season Premier League Game Changer
Inaugural winner of award for shot Second successive season Inaugural winner of award for
against Leeds United with average performance against Aston Villa
PFA Young Player of the Year Second
speed of 117.6 km/hr on the final day of the season
successive season
Made 14.3 runs into the opposition box per
90 minutes The most of any player in the
Premier League (min. 1,000 mins played)

Phil İlkay
Fernandinho Foden
Premier League, PFA
Gündoğan
MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 14
Won 81% of his aerial duels this season Completed an average of 82 passes PFA Team of the Year
(47 out of 58) The highest figure for per 90 minutes The best mark of
Covered an average of 12 km per 90
any player to contest at least 20 aerial any midfielder in the Premier League
minutes The most of any player in the
duels in the Premier League
Premier League (min 1,500 minutes played)

John Bernardo
Stones
Premier League, PFA
Rodri Silva
MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 15
CONSISTENT EXCELLENCE
City’s exceptional form continued a five-season trend.

The commitment to never rest on laurels and a relentless push

for excellence showed in the team statistics. On their way to a
fourth Premier League title in five seasons, City scored more goals
than any other team (99) and conceded the joint-fewest goals
(26), giving the highest goal difference in the league of 73.

This goal difference was the second highest in Premier League

history (surpassed only by City in 2017-18), while the goals tally
was the sixth highest in the Premier League era (with City
also accounting for three of the five higher totals).

In the 190 Premier League matches City has played during

the last half decade, it has won 146, taken 458 points and
scored a remarkable 485 goals, with an aggregate goal
difference of 342.

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 16

Premier League records

Goal difference

Our goal difference this season was the second-highest in Premier League history

TEAM SEASON GOAL DIFFERENCE

MANCHESTER CITY 17-18 79

MANCHESTER CITY 21-22 73

MANCHESTER CITY 18-19 72

CHELSEA 09-10 71

LIVERPOOL 21-22 68

MANCHESTER CITY 19-20 67

LIVERPOOL 18-19 67

MANCHESTER CITY 13-14 65

MANCHESTER CITY 11-12 64

Source:

17
Premier League records

Goals scored

Our goals tally this season was the sixth-highest in Premier League history

TEAM SEASON GOALS SCORED

MANCHESTER CITY 17-18 106

CHELSEA 09-10 103
MANCHESTER CITY 19-20 102
MANCHESTER CITY 13-14 102
LIVERPOOL 13-14 101
MANCHESTER CITY 21-22 99

Source:

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 18

CLUB LEGENDS’ STATUES
In August 2021, City unveiled permanent statues of Club legends
Vincent Kompany and David Silva at the Etihad Stadium.

And on the tenth anniversary of the Club’s first Premier League title
and the iconic ‘93:20’ moment in May 2022, a statue of Sergio Agüero
joined Vincent and David and completed a trinity that commemorated
a defining era.

Situated on the east side of the Etihad Stadium, the statues are the work
of award-winning sculptor Andy Scott. Constructed using thousands of
welded pieces of galvanised steel, at night the statues are illuminated
with blue tinted lighting.

Scott, who is one of the most respected sculptors of his generation

and is known for his large-scale figurative pieces, created the statues
in his studio in Philadelphia, USA before they were transported to
Manchester by Etihad Cargo.

As part of the tenth anniversary celebration, the Club also held a

special event with 2,000 fans in the centre of Manchester. Members
of the playing squad from the 2011-12 season reunited for an evening
of celebration, with a live broadcast available for fans to watch around
the world on the Club’s digital platforms.

At the end of the season, the Chairman further confirmed plans for a
new work paying tribute to 1960s/70s legends Colin Bell, Francis Lee
and Mike Summerbee.

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 19

SALUTING A LEGEND
On 13 May, exactly ten years on from the day City secured
a first ever Premier League title, the Club organised a reunion
of the 2011-12 squad.

The highlight was the unveiling of a statue of Sergio Agüero,

whose unforgettable goal sealed a 3-2 victory over Queens Park
Rangers and propelled them to that first top-flight English league
championship (and first ever Premier League title) for 44 years.

City’s fortunes have been utterly transformed in the decade since

Agüero’s goal, which kick-started a stunning and dominant period
of success.

The following ten years have yielded five more Premier Leagues,
six League Cups, an FA Cup and three Community Shields – more
trophies than any other Premier League club during that period.

Prior to 2012, City – despite winning the European Cup Winners’

Cup in 1969-70 – were an irregular feature in European competitions,
featuring in just 11 seasons.

Since winning the title in the last seconds of the final day in
2011-12, City has been an ever-present team in the Champions
League, participating in a remarkable ten seasons in a row.

Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said, “Sergio Agüero’s contribution to

Manchester City in a defining era for the Club cannot be overstated.
He is without doubt one of the greatest players that has ever played
the game.”

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 20

Needing a goal in the final three minutes, City immediately regained possession.
Agüero collected the ball on the edge of the box and rolled it into Mario Balotelli
who lost his footing but still flicked the ball into the Argentinian’s path.

He nudged the ball beyond one challenge and fired a shot in at the near post
to send the Etihad Stadium into raptures and crown City as champions.

10 3 6 5 1
17-18
Record breaking
season

/10
22 100
All-time top-flight
(men/women)

Champions League record

qualifications points*
*Adjusting for 3 points per win

15
Premier League

106
Trophies record
Trophies in 10 years in 10 years goals
MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 21
Needing a goal in the final three minutes, City immediately regained possession.
Agüero collected the ball on the edge of the box and rolled it into Mario Balotelli
who lost his footing but still flicked the ball into the Argentinian’s path.

He nudged the ball beyond one challenge and fired a shot in at the near post
to send the Etihad Stadium into raptures and crown City as champions.

More points
than any
other team

7
Women

32
More Premier League Cups across Trophies
goals than any all age groups
other team (Premier League-accredited tournaments since 2008-09)
in 7 years
MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 22
 WOMEN’S
MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22
TEAM 23
Belief is key, and trust in the process. Easy words to use but really
important in showing our identity as both people and as a team.
Gareth Taylor, Head Coach

It was a year of transition for Manchester City Women who, It helped them clinch the Continental Cup with a 3-1 final win over
despite all the changes and a poor start, showed their resilience, league champions Chelsea, the fourth time they’d won that trophy
strength and desire. in eight years. The same two teams contested the FA Cup final,
with Chelsea winning 3-2 in front of almost 50,000 fans at
Those qualities led them to a major trophy and secured them
Wembley Stadium.
a place in European competition.
Taylor’s team looked very different, having made a number of new
Despite being ninth in the Women’s Super League (WSL) table after
international signings over the summer, welcoming Jamaican striker
one win in their opening five matches, City ended the season by
Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw, Spanish midfielder Vicky Losada, Swedish
reeling off an amazing nine successive wins - scoring 31 goals and
international Filippa Angeldahl, two Australian internationals Hayley
conceding just two - to clinch the important third spot in the table
Raso and Alana Kennedy, along with England under 19 starlet
and land qualification for the Champions League for the seventh
Ruby Mace, who signed her first professional contract after joining
season in succession.
Manchester City from Arsenal.
City’s possession football increased from 62.8% before 12 February
to 70.3% after that date. These figures were the highest in the WSL in
both parts of the season.

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 24

THIRD PLACE WINNERS FINALISTS ROUND 2 2021-22 At A Glance: Women

(QUALIFYING) Our women’s team won the

League Cup for the fourth time,
and finished in a Champions
League qualification slot for
the seventh successive season
in the WSL

CONTINENTAL
FA WSL TYRES CUP FA CUP CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Source: Manchester City

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 25

SQUAD GAME
City’s resurgence in the latter part of the season
was recognised in the PFA Awards.

Lauren Hemp was named PFA Women’s Young Player

of the Year for 2021-22, securing the prize for the third time
in as many years, and the fourth occasion overall in her
career. She was also voted into the PFA WSL Team of the
Year by her fellow professionals, with Alex Greenwood
and Caroline Weir also featuring in that all-star XI.

The squad were well represented in international

competitions: 19 players were called up across
the season to represent their various countries.

As with the men’s team, there were also emotional

goodbyes as stalwarts Jill Scott and Karen Bardsley hung
up their playing boots. Each played a pivotal and vital part
in the growth and success of the women’s team across
the last eight seasons. Helping the team to eight trophy
successes during their time in City blue, the pair amassed
just short of 300 appearances between them and have left
an undeniable mark not only on Manchester City but on the
women’s game as a whole.

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 26

Player accolades
PFA WSL Team of the Year PFA Young Player of the Year Third successive season
Carried the ball a total of 5,625 metres PFA WSL Team of the Year
Over 2,000 metres more than any other player in the WSL
Completed 22 dribbles More than any other player in the WSL

Alex Greenwood
Source: PFA
Lauren Hemp
MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 27
Conceded only three goals in 897 minutes of action PFA WSL Team of the Year
An average of one goal every 299 minutes – the best of any
goalkeeper to make at least three appearances in the WSL

Ellie Roebuck
Source: PFA
Caroline Weir
MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 28
GROWING THE WOMEN’S GAME
EURO 2022 proved to be a tournament to remember
for a host of City players as England claimed a historic
first European Championship title.

City had seven representatives in the history-making

Lionesses squad, more than any other side in the WSL.
A further four players were involved with other nations:
Norway, Sweden, Holland and Spain.

The England contingent had their boot prints all over the
host nation's landmark triumph, with Chloe Kelly netting
the winner in the final against Germany and Keira Walsh
being named Player of the Match.

City’s Academy Stadium hosted three group matches

during the tournament, all of which sold out ahead of
the tournament’s start.

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 29

Fans’ support for women’s football

Manchester City supporters express greater interest in their

women’s team than fans of other Premier League clubs

80%

PROPORTION OF FANS WHO AGREE:

60%
I primarily follow the
men’s team but I am 67%
53%
40%

also interested in the

women’s team 20%

0% MANCHESTER CITY FANS AVERAGE FOR FANS OF ALL

PREMIER LEAGUE CLUBS

Source: Premier League Fan Engagement Survey 2021/22

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 30

YOUTH
TEAMS
Not only have the teams executed the brand of football that we want to see at City,
but they have also shown the character and commitment required to be back-to-back
competition winners.
Jason Wilcox, Academy Director

In addition to an impressive number of first team debuts, The EDS rounded off the Premier League 2 campaign
City’s Academy won the Premier League Under-18 title, with a resounding 7-0 win over Everton at the Etihad
and the Elite Development Squad (EDS) landed the Stadium, capping a successful season in which they
Premier League 2 crown. sealed back-to-back titles.

All of which meant, for an incredible second year in succession, James McAtee was named the PL2 Player of the Season
an extraordinary City clean sweep of the available Premier League for 2021-22. The creative midfielder scored no fewer than
titles at academy and senior level. 18 times during the season.

The U18s win (both regional and national) meant City were City’s EDS squad was especially young this season,
also the first team in history to win this competition three with an average age of 18.5 for their starting XI across all
times in a row. their league games. In all 26 league games played by the
EDS this season, the average age of City’s starting team
was less than that of their opponents.

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 32

2021-22 At A Glance: Youth teams

WINNERS WINNERS WINNERS WINNERS WINNERS WINNERS

EDS U18 U17 U16 U10 U9

PREMIER LEAGUE
NORTH LEAGUE
PREMIER LEAGUE 2 PREMIER LEAGUE UNDER-17 PREMIER LEAGUE PREMIER LEAGUE PREMIER LEAGUE
DIVISION 1 NATIONAL LEAGUE PREMIER LEAGUE CUP NATIONAL CUP NATIONALS FUTSAL 5’S

Source: Manchester City

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 33

LOCAL TALENT
Manchester City has a network of scouts all over
the world, but there is a particular focus on finding and
developing players from within the local community.

The Club is particularly proud that 66% of its

Academy intake comes from Manchester and Greater
Manchester. It is a great testament to the outreach
and talent development delivered in the local area.

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 34

Made in Manchester

Of the 193 players in the Academy in 2021-22 (from U9s up to U23s), 66% are local

17% 49%
66%
Manchester Greater Manchester

28%
Other UK
6%
International

Source: Manchester City

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 35

SCHOOL REPORT
Off the pitch, the Academy boys’ educational programmes
continued to go from strength to strength.

This year was the tenth year of the relationship between City
and St Bede’s College in Manchester, which continues to deliver
bespoke educational programmes to meet the demands of
training and tours.

There were 69 St Bede’s pupils from the Academy on the

Full Time Training Model (FTTM), and GCSE and A-Level results
remained impressive.

In 2021-22, the students focused on a number of specific

projects, including Black History Month and Holocaust Memorial
Day, along with recognising Remembrance Day on all matches
that fell on that weekend.

Stan Horne, the first Black player to represent Manchester

City, had a City Football Academy classroom named
in his honour. Stan took part in a Q+A session with six
Under-15 players.

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 36

School report

Educational achievements of the Academy players

70 80% 100% 11 Players who have

Pass rate on BTEC and A completed their Duke of
Number of boys on the GCSE pass rate across Level courses for all the Edinburgh Bronze Award
Full Time Training Model full cohort of players, boys at the Club, with in the last year, with a
at St Bede’s College and 7 points above the 91% of the players on or further 3 boys awarded a
Barlow RC High School national average above their target grades certificate of achievement

Source: Manchester City

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 37

ACADEMY SUCCESSES
Eight Academy graduates made their professional
first team debuts this season.

Cole Palmer scored his first goals for the senior team in the
Champions League, Carabao Cup and FA Cup, whilst Sam Edozie,
James McAtee, CJ Egan-Riley, Luke Mbete, Romeo Lavia, Josh
Wilson-Esbrand, Finley Burns and Ben Knight all experienced
first team minutes throughout the season. Several other
youngsters also trained regularly with Pep Guardiola’s squad
during the campaign.

A key aim of the Academy is to develop players not only for City’s
first team but also to help players begin professional careers
in football for any club. Our analysis, which we are presenting
for the first time in the Annual Report, shows that almost 200
City Football Academy (CFA) graduates had active professional
football careers in the last 11 seasons (between 2011-12 and
2021-22). In the 2021-22 season alone, more than 100 CFA
graduates were playing in professional football.

Of the CFA graduates playing since 2011-12, a total of 43 players

made appearances in senior league and cup competitions for
Manchester City’s first team, while another 33 made appearances
for other Premier League clubs, 122 made professional appearances
in the lower English leagues and 104 made senior appearances for
non-English senior European sides.

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 38

Academy outcomes

City Football Academy (CFA) graduates CFA graduates who made an appearance
who had active professional football in senior league and cup competitions for
careers in the last 11 seasons (between the Manchester City first team
2011-12 and 2021-22), and in the 2021-22
season alone

191 43
2011-12 TO 2021-22 2011-12 TO 2021-22

PLAYERS PLAYERS

104 11
2021-22 2021-22

PLAYERS PLAYERS
Source: Manchester City

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 39

Academy outcomes

CFA graduates who made an appearance CFA graduates who made an appearance CFA graduates who made a senior
in senior league and cup competitions for professional clubs in lower English appearance for a non-English senior
for Premier League teams other than leagues (the Championship, League One European side
Manchester City and League Two)

33 122 104
2011-12 TO 2021-22 2011-12 TO 2021-22 2011-12 TO 2021-22

PLAYERS PLAYERS PLAYERS

8 48 46
2021-22 2021-22 2021-22

PLAYERS PLAYERS PLAYERS

Source: Manchester City

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 40

 OUR
CITYZENS
MATCHDAY
We are proudly Mancunian, to our core.
We constantly look for new ways to improve
the experience for match-going supporters.
Danny Wilson, Managing Director Manchester City Operations

After two seasons disrupted by COVID-19, during large parts of

which games were played behind closed doors, this was an
emotional season for City fans, who were thrilled to return to
the Etihad Stadium.

When they did get back into the ground, City had become one of
the first clubs in the country to take part in a trial of safe standing,
with 5,620 rail seats installed in the lower tier of the South Stand.

In addition, several new and exciting food and beverage offerings

were introduced at the stadium, allowing the Club to support
11 businesses local to the Manchester community. The Club
also developed a new range of vegan food offers and introduced
100% recyclable and zero-plastic beer cups.

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 43

Etihad visitors

Occupancy rate at the Etihad Stadium returns to pre-lockdown levels

52,774
Average Premier League
99%
Occupancy rate for
20.9 YEARS
Average time a Manchester City
home attendance at the Premier League games fan has been attending the Club’s
Etihad Stadium football matches

Source: Manchester City , Premier League Matchday Fan Engagement Survey 2021/22

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 44

A GREAT DAY OUT
There is so much more to a City matchday than the 90+
minutes on the pitch, and that led to record-breaking revenues.

The Club’s dedicated fan zone, City Square, was back for the full
season, entertaining supporters from two and a half hours before
kick-off with live music, competitions and special guests.

City Square was ranked as the best fan zone in the Premier League
in its annual Matchday Fan Experience Survey.

In an innovative approach to help build the atmosphere before some

of the evening games, City choreographed spectacular atmospheric
‘light’ shows, with blue lasers lighting up the Etihad Stadium and top
DJs performing.

The UEFA Champions League game against Paris Saint Germain

broke the Club record for the highest single matchday revenue,
and the Champions League group stages were the best attended
since Manchester City first qualified more than ten years ago.

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 45

TICKETING & PRICING
City continued to provide some of the most affordable tickets in
the Premier League, and promoted new ways for fans to redeem
and share them with friends and family.

Mobile ticketing was introduced for all matches at the Etihad and
Academy Stadiums. The rationale was to reduce the risk of lost
and stolen tickets and to provide the flexibility to transfer tickets
digitally to friends or family members.

An extensive support package was created to help supporters

through the change, including digital ‘how-to’ guides and the provision
of additional staff on gate entrances on match days.

The Ticket Exchange remained popular this year, and was further
developed in consultation with City Matters, a fan group that is made
up of ten voluntary members who meet with the Club on a regular
basis to share ideas and discuss a range of topics important to City
supporters. Thanks to their feedback, and promotion from the Club,
49,641 tickets were listed on the exchange throughout the season.

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 46

City’s commitment to affordable pricing

The lowest price point of a Manchester City Season Ticket was just £350,
one of the most affordable adult season ticket prices in the Premier League

£350
Lowest price point of a
£530-900
Lowest-priced season tickets of the other biggest clubs*
Manchester City Season Ticket (Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal)

* Revenues as ranked by Deloitte’s 2022 Football Money League

Source: Manchester City

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 47

MEMBERSHIP
& SUPPORTERS
CLUBS
City has invested in many new resources to ensure fans worldwide can stay in touch
with the Club and players. They are consistently active on social media and official
platforms, allowing us to stay informed.
Manchester City Fan, Australia

A successful season on the pitch was matched by record digital Fans were able to show their support for City in new and unique
engagement levels off it, with 7.6 million Cityzens signed up ways during the title win.
and actively engaged around the world. This was an increase
Tens of thousands of Cityzens logged in to the Man City app and
of 12% year-on-year.
site to create and share their own personalised social media images
Nearly two million new fans joined City’s database during the celebrating the latest Premier League success.
season. Email continued to be the most engaging channel, with
The excitement of the final weeks of the season meant the Club
new formats for newsletters, automated welcome messages
engaged a record number of fans, with more than one million active
and fresh designs for ticketing and retail communications helping
users opening emails or interacting with City’s online Cityzens
to drive record numbers of active users and referral revenues.
platform during May.
The Club also worked on improving cross-channel experiences for
Anticipation for the new season was also impressive. The
logged-in users, introducing new forms of personalised content,
announcement of the 2022-23 season fixtures became the most
including exclusives for Official Cityzens and Season Ticket Members.
clicked-on email broadcast, demonstrating the ever-increasing
More than a third of the active fanbase engaged with the Club across
demand from global fans to engage with City and see the team
its multiple channels, with the number of logged-in fans interacting
in action.
through the mobile app or Cityzens site higher than ever.

The demand to meet City legends and see the Premier League trophy
at a variety of events saw the fanbase in Argentina and Brazil grow
by nearly 20,000 during visits to those countries. The Club also flew
in fans from around the world for once-in-a-lifetime experiences at
the final game of the season and trophy parade, as well as the 93:20
anniversary celebrations.

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 49

Cityzens around the world

Growth in number of Cityzens signed up and actively engaged around the world

19% 17%
USA OVERALL GLOBAL GROWTH JAPAN

18%
ARGENTINA
12%

Source: Manchester City (active users are registered fans who engage in some way, such as submitting entries, clicking on a Cityzens widget, etc.)

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 50

WORLDWIDE APPEAL
Global membership of Official Supporters Clubs (OSC)
increased by 50% year-on-year, aided by the return
of live events and social gatherings.

Membership growth was particularly strong in the US

(39% up year-on-year) and India (31% up).

No fewer than 32 new branches were welcomed into

the OSC family, eight of them new territories. Vietnam,
Trinidad & Tobago and Mexico were amongst the countries
that joined the City family this year. Meanwhile, we established
eight new branches in India alone, taking the total there to
21 Official branches.

There were visits to Official Supporters Clubs in India

(Mumbai and Bengaluru), Australia (Sydney and Melbourne)
and Brazil (Cityzens of Brasil), and the Club took the
Premier League trophy to ten UK branches.

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 51

Manchester City Official Supporters Clubs around the world

21,097
MEMBERS
338
OFFICIAL SUPPORTERS CLUBS
78
COUNTRIES

Source: Manchester City

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 52

MEDIA
We are proud to create content that chronicles our history, highlights the tenacity
and success of our teams, and brings our fans even closer together, all around the world.
Nuria Tarre, Chief Marketing & Fan Experience Officer

City’s in-house media team continued to publish high-quality Kinkladze, The Magician of Maine Road’ and ‘Shaun Wright-Phillips:
content across a range of channels and saw the biggest growth City’s Homegrown Hero’.
in fan engagement in the Club’s history.
The reveal of major signing Jack Grealish from Aston Villa won plaudits
This was driven by thousands of hours of high-quality video content from all over the world and broke records for key metrics – with more
and vast numbers of articles, graphics and high-quality photography subscribers gained on YouTube than for any other signing to date, more
– all distributed across the City app, website and social channels. engagements (likes, comments, shares) across social channels and
more unique visits and page views than any other signing.
Variety and quality were the key components of the output, which
included live coverage of managers’ press conferences, full broadcasts Jack’s signing and the management of its announcement produced
of women’s and Academy team games, recorded interviews and an international media reporting frenzy, and this resulted in Manchester
match highlights and full-length feature documentaries. City winning the Best New Player Signing Reveal award at the Football
Business Awards.
Most of the content remained available for free with extra, premium,
content available via CITY+, our over-the-top (OTT) subscription In its second season, City’s dedicated magazine-style MatchDay Live
streaming platform. show – featuring pre-match, half-time and post-match discussion –
went from strength to strength this year. It was broadcast in and around
This was the second season that City had an embedded content
all men’s first team matches and selected women’s and Academy
team within the men’s first team environment, meaning fans got to
matches. Localised versions were produced for India, the US and China,
see more immersive, behind-the-scenes action than ever before. This
delivering a total of 62 live shows across the season. For the last game
included preparations for key matches, Pep Guardiola’s team talks and
of the season, a record 5.6 million views were achieved from fans
even midfielder İlkay Gündoğan coaching some of the Academy players!
following Manchester City v Aston Villa around the world.
This year also saw an increase in the output of long-form documentary
The Club also increased the volume and quality of partner-branded
series. ‘Together’ told the story of the end of the 2020-21 season,
content, delivering improved video, design and documentary features
while features on players past and present included ‘Ederson’, ‘Georgi
to create the best possible experience for fans and partners.

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 54

GROWTH ON SOCIAL MEDIA
The number of followers across the Club’s main
social media accounts surpassed 100 million.

Engagements across the main platforms rose by 50% in

2021-22, to a total of 821 million likes, shares and comments.

Substantial growth was forthcoming on Instagram, Twitter,

TikTok and YouTube video. Views on the main platforms
more than doubled to reach a huge 3.3 billion globally.

Looking ahead, the quality of content will continue to

improve. Work began on ‘Studio 1’ – part of City Studios –
a new onsite studio production facility with state-of-the-
art equipment, positioned adjacent to the men’s first team
building, meaning content can be filmed around training
requirements.

The studio was built with flexibility in mind: filming can

be split across five backdrops, turned into a fully bespoke
shooting space and there is even space to drive in a car.

The studio was used for selected activity towards the

end of the season, including the MatchDay Live show
before Real Madrid v Manchester City, which delivered
1.7 million views.

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 55

Engagement on social media

Total engagements (likes, shares, comments, etc) across platforms up by 50% in 2021-22

50%
YEAR-ON-YEAR

ENGAGEMENTS ACROSS INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, TWITTER AND TIKTOK

* Instagram stats for current and prior year cover main feed and Instagram Reels. 2020-21 figure has been
recalculated as Instagram Reels was not included in the equivalent dataset in the previous Annual Report

Source: Result Sport

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 56

Engagement on social media

Total engagements (likes, shares, comments, etc) across platforms up by 50% in 2021-22

Key areas of growth this year:

110%
ENGAGEMENTS ON
104%
ENGAGEMENTS ON
72%
ENGAGEMENTS ON
INSTAGRAM REELS TIKTOK TWITTER

* Instagram stats for current and prior year cover main feed and Instagram Reels. 2020-21 figure has been
recalculated as Instagram Reels was not included in the equivalent dataset in the previous Annual Report

Source: Result Sport

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 57

Followers on social media

More than 100 million followers across Manchester City’s main social media accounts in 2021-22

Manchester City Manchester City Manchester City Manchester City Manchester City
@ManCity @ManCity @ManCity @ManCity @ManCity

40.7M 32.9M 20.3M 8.2M 4.4M

FACEBOOK FOLLOWERS INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS TWITTER FOLLOWERS TIKTOK FOLLOWERS YOUTUBE SUBSCRIBERS
(across global and regional accounts)

1% 33% 27% 122% 34%

YEAR-ON-YEAR YEAR-ON-YEAR YEAR-ON-YEAR YEAR-ON-YEAR YEAR-ON-YEAR

Source: Result Sport

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 58

Video views

Video views on Manchester City’s main social accounts more than doubled in 2021-22 to over 3 billion

121%
ANNUAL GROWTH

3.3BN 87.5M
VIDEO VIEWS VIDEO VIEWS ACROSS SOCIAL ACCOUNTS OF
THE MOST-WATCHED PIECE OF CONTENT
(Ederson’s off-the-line clearance against Liverpool)

Source: Result Sport

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 59

CITY ON TV
Growing interest in Manchester City around the world was
reflected in record TV viewing figures for games involving the
Club in 2021-22.

In all competitions, games featuring City attracted a cumulative

global audience of more than 600 million viewers across the season,
a record figure for the Club.

With 27 million global viewers, City’s Premier League match against

Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium in April was watched by more people
than any other domestic club game in any football league anywhere
in the world.

When taking into account both domestic leagues and European

competitions, City were the third most-watched European club in the
world in terms of overall TV viewing of football matches.

In the UK, live coverage of Premier League games featuring City drew
an average TV audience of 1.75 million viewers. Despite the growth
of competing activities this year as COVID-19-related lockdown
restrictions were eased – which meant people were no longer stuck
at home watching TV – this figure was up by a substantial 25% year-
on-year.

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 60

TV broadcasting

Viewers of games featuring Manchester City on television in 2021-22

7%
YEAR-ON-YEAR
A CLUB RECORD FOR THE
CUMULATIVE GLOBAL
AUDIENCE ACROSS THE
SEASON FOR GAMES
FEATURING MANCHESTER
CITY IN ALL COMPETITIONS
GLOBAL VIEWERS

Note: viewing figures include live games, delayed/repeat broadcasts and highlights

Source: Nielsen Sports

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 61

TV broadcasting

Viewers of games featuring Manchester City on television in 2021-22

YEAR-ON-YEAR

27M
City’s home game against
GLOBAL
VIEWERS 3/5
Manchester City featured
1.75M UK
VIEWERS
Average audience on British TV
Liverpool in the Premier League in three of the five most for live Premier League games
in April was the most-watched watched Premier League featuring City
domestic club game in any games around the world
football league this season during the 2021-22 season

Note: viewing figures include live games, delayed/repeat broadcasts and highlights

Source: Nielsen Sports

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 62

 OUR
COMMUNITY
CITY IN THE
COMMUNITY
 We are a community bonded by values;
everything we do empowers healthier lives
through football. Together, we move with
city youth to create healthy people, healthy
futures and healthy communities.
Mike Geary, Head of City in the Community

City in the Community (CITC) has enjoyed a successful

and exciting season as it marked its 35th anniversary.

CITC supports people across Greater Manchester by creating

healthier lives through football. Programmes place physical
and mental well-being at their core, whilst also creating healthy
futures and healthy communities.

The 2021-22 season saw CITC deliver 17 programmes reaching

around 20,000 people whose ages ranged from 79 all the way
down to two, totalling in excess of 22,000 community sessions
and averaging 29 hours per participant.

During October, the charity held a month-long campaign to

celebrate its 35th anniversary. Activities included a matchday
takeover, bonus player appearances for young people, a showcase
with stakeholders at the City Football Academy and a unique
prize draw for fans.

Another highlight was the announcement of a new trustee

in former Manchester City player Nedum Onuoha, who grew up
close to the Etihad Stadium in Miles Platting.

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 65

MENTAL HEALTH
The CITC anniversary, as well as other fundraising events
throughout the year, helped to support the charity’s
mental health programme, City Thrive.

Delivered in partnership with the National Health Service (NHS),

the award-winning City Thrive was centred around a new
curriculum, blending specially adapted football sessions with
one-to-one mentoring and group workshops on mental health
awareness, to improve well-being for people aged under 25.

A child and adolescent mental health services clinician was also

based directly within the CITC offices for four days each week,
helping to engage vulnerable populations that the NHS cannot
access through traditional approaches and ensuring CITC
participants do not need to wait for support.

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 66

CITC highlights

CITC output metrics all increased year-on-year, with 9%

more people reached and 24% more community sessions

9%
YEAR-ON-YEAR
53%
YEAR-ON-YEAR
24%
YEAR-ON-YEAR

19,000
People CITC worked with
4,000 HOURS
Free football and other sports
22,000
Community sessions delivered
regularly in Manchester opportunities during school
holidays and peak times of
anti-social behaviour

26%
YEAR-ON-YEAR
18%
YEAR-ON-YEAR

5,800
Free meals provided
274
Local people helped by
to participants and CITC to gain qualifications
their families (City Inspires, BTEC and
City Degree programmes)
Source: Manchester City

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 67

PROJECT OUTCOMES
The youth-led programmes placed physical and mental
well-being at their centre.

City Thrive reached 3,000 young people and provided more

than 6,500 healthy meals to communities to support their
physical well-being. After taking part in City Thrive, 25%
more participants said they felt comfortable approaching
friends and family about mental health.

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 68

CITC outcomes

Results from CITC and Premier League evaluation studies

PREMIER LEAGUE PREMIER LEAGUE / PFA PREMIER LEAGUE PREMIER LEAGUE

PRIMARY STARS EARLY YEARS INSPIRES KICKS

of participants improved of practitioners improved of participants improved of participants improved

their mental wellbeing their skills or knowledge their physical wellbeing their confidence and
self-esteem

91% 88% 91% 86%

Source: Manchester City

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 69

FAN APPRECIATION
Fan support is crucial in helping communities within
Manchester. Throughout the season there were a number
of opportunities for fans to assist CITC.

In the Premier League’s Fan Engagement Survey for

2021-22, as many as 92% of City fans agreed that ‘work
in the community is an important part of the culture and
philosophy of my Club’. High proportions of City fans also
reported that they are aware of the Club’s community
initiatives and agreed that the Club makes a significant
contribution to the local community.

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 70

Fan appreciation of community initiatives

Manchester City fans have a high awareness and appreciation of the Club’s community work

PROPORTION OF FANS WHO AGREE: PROPORTION OF FANS WHO AGREE:

My club already makes a significant I am aware of community
contribution to the local community initiatives run by my club

100% 100%

80% 80%

94% 85% 89% 80%

60% 60%

40% 40%

20% 20%

0% 0%
MANCHESTER CITY FANS AVERAGE FOR FANS OF ALL MANCHESTER CITY FANS AVERAGE FOR FANS OF ALL
PREMIER LEAGUE CLUBS PREMIER LEAGUE CLUBS

Source: Premier League Fan Engagement Survey 2021/22

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 71

OTHER LOCAL
COMMUNITIES
When we launched the MCR Ukraine Welcome Fund, the Club’s substantial
support was instrumental in helping us get the word out across the city that
there was something we could all do to help our neighbours arriving from Ukraine.
Ged Carter, Head of We Love MCR Charity

The Club is committed to supporting a number of charities each The Club lent its support through the free use of facilities and
year. Perhaps the most important contributions this season promotion of the match, and Manchester City legends took part
followed the outbreak of war in Ukraine in early 2022. in the game. The event raised in excess of £80,000, which was
donated to The Chloe and Liam Together Forever Trust, Liv’s Trust,
City offered the use of matchday platforms to the British Red Cross
The Megan Hurley Foundation, The Remembering Nell Foundation
for a ‘text to donate’ graphic. This was displayed at some of the most
and Eilidh's Trust.
watched games of the season, including the Manchester Derby.
Mike Summerbee, former player and Club Ambassador, was awarded
The Club also supported the MCR Ukraine Welcome Fund, which
an OBE for his services to football and charity. Since retiring from his
funded charities and voluntary sector groups for those impacted
playing career, Mike has made a significant contribution to Manchester
by the war in Ukraine who were arriving in Manchester, by promoting
City and has been an active campaigner for Prostate Cancer UK
the campaign on matchdays to encourage fans to donate. Alongside
following his recovery from the disease, whilst also supporting
these charitable initiatives, City supported its Ukrainian staff and
Manchester’s Christie Hospital, a specialist cancer treatment centre.
players, including Oleksandr Zinchenko.

The Academy Stadium was used to host ‘Manchester Remembers’

in April 2022, a charity football match between footballing legends and
celebrities to commemorate victims of the Manchester Arena attack.

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 73

SUPPORT FOR OUR FANS
The Club continued to recognise the efforts of fans
who have gone above and beyond to help others.

Working in partnership with Cadbury, the Club rewarded

those nominated by their fellow supporters for charity
efforts or community work.

The annual Christmas surprise also gave several deserving

families who had gone through tough times in the previous
12 months the chance to enjoy a memorable festive experience
with their favourite City players. This was complemented
by the Club’s annual gift donation to children at the Royal
Manchester Children’s Hospital and Francis House.

The Club also helps individuals and charities every year

through the donation of Manchester City items and
experiences, including signed shirts, tour vouchers and
matchday tickets to help fundraise for worthy causes,
including ‘wish’ days for both adults and children.

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 74

 GLOBAL
COMMUNITIES
I have been truly inspired by the stories of
young leaders who are creating life-changing
impacts in their communities using the power
of football.
Karen Bardsley, Former Manchester City Women Player

Through the Cityzens Giving programme, Manchester City

continued to support a connected network of youth-led
community football projects around the globe, together
with our fans, staff and partners.

One of the cornerstones of the Cityzens Giving programme

remained the training of Young Leaders.

This season’s Young Leader training programme saw Cityzens

Giving engage a record 1,600 Young Leaders in 64 cities via
a new football-based leadership experience in Abu Dhabi with
Etihad Airways, the return of the Global Young Leaders Summit
in Manchester, and live digital forums on Webex through
a partnership with Cisco.

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 76

Cityzens Giving

Supporting young leaders around the world to uplift

the health of city youth through the power of football

TOTAL FUNDING COMMITMENT BY CITY FOOTBALL GROUP YOUNG COMMUNITY FOOTBALL LEADERS TRAINED IN
AND ITS PARTNERS TO LIFE-CHANGING PROJECTS AROUND 64 CITIES IN 2021-22, OUR HIGHEST-EVER FIGURES FOR
THE WORLD SINCE INCEPTION IN 2015 A SINGLE SEASON

Source: Manchester City

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 77

SUMMIT
The Global Young Leaders Summit returned to an in-person
event in Manchester for the first time since 2019.

40 young leaders from 20 cities around the world, all dedicated

to supporting young people through football during the pandemic,
attended a five-day football-based leadership summit at the City
Football Academy.

In its eighth year, the Summit – presented by Etihad Airways –

saw Young Leaders receive training from City in the Community
coaches, who equipped them with the skills and confidence to
continue to use the power of football to uplift the health of young
people in their communities.

This year’s sessions included football-based workshops on mental

health, nutrition and water education, visits to Manchester schools
and the delivery of a football festival for local schoolchildren.

The event also included a new Young Leaders Awards ceremony

at the Etihad Stadium, streamed live to Young Leaders, friends and
family around the world.

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 78

GLOBAL FOOTPRINT
Cityzens Giving empowered young leaders around
the world to tackle a range of local social issues through
the power of football.

These issues range from HIV prevention in Kilifi, Kenya,

to safe water in Buenos Aires and healthy nutrition in
Los Angeles. In total, Manchester City supported projects
in 24 cities across the globe.

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 79

Community football projects funded by Cityzens Giving

Cityzens Giving supports youth-led projects in 24 cities

1. Bandung 13. Kuala Lumpur

2. Bangalore 14. Los Angeles
3. Barranquilla 15. Manchester
4. Beijing 16. Melbourne
5. Buenos Aires 17. Mexico City
6. Cape Coast 18. Montevideo
7. Cape Town 19. Mumbai
8. Chengdu 20. New York City
9. Chicago 21. Philadelphia
10. Guangzhou 22. São Paulo
11. Kilifi 23. Shanghai
12. Kolkata 24. Washington DC

Source: Manchester City

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 80

KIT INSPIRATION
City’s 2021-22 away kit was the Club’s first ever kit dedicated In addition, a replica clean water tower at the Etihad Stadium
to a social cause – safe water. Manchester City, global water in Manchester inspired and educated local fans and school
technology company Xylem and PUMA teamed up to improve groups on water challenges and solutions.
the health of young people around the globe, delivering vital water
During the season, young leaders in each city delivered weekly
education and clean water access to around 10,000 young people
football and water education sessions, culminating in a series
in four cities.
of community football festivals, with surprise project visits
Produced with a special Dope Dye manufacturing process to from Manchester City players and the Premier League Trophy.
reduce water consumption, the kit marked the launch of a new PUMA ambassador Fernandinho visited São Paulo, former player
global programme, blending football-based education on water, Pablo Zabaleta returned to his home city, Buenos Aires, and
clean water access and mass awareness of a global issue. Shaun Wright-Phillips visited young leaders in Mumbai.

The four projects – in São Paulo, Mumbai, Buenos Aires and In total, 80 Young Leaders were engaged in the four cities.
Manchester – each benefitted from funding, bespoke training The projects were very well received, with 96% of participants
for young people in leadership and community football, special surveyed reporting a greater sense of well-being.
PUMA kit and equipment drops, and Xylem’s technological
The programme delivered real and measurable life changes
expertise to deliver innovative solutions to local water challenges.
for young people, improving health, well-being and awareness
Xylem volunteers and local NGO partners joined up with young of the importance of clean water and water conservation.
leaders and City fans to install a clean water tower in a Mumbai
school, providing a safe and long-term supply of fresh drinking
water for 1,800 people per day, whilst a rainwater capture and
reuse system in São Paulo provided more consistent access to
clean water all year round, and handwashing stations next to a
community football pitch in Buenos Aires encouraged safe hand
washing practices.

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 81

 OUR
BUSINESS
PERFORMANCE
A clear set of guiding principles, a clear strategy, and the courage to dream big.
That is why Manchester City has been so successful on the pitch. Off the pitch,
it is no different.
Ferran Soriano, CEO

This season, the Club set bold, ambitious financial targets Manchester City’s profits were also boosted by remarkable transfer
and hit them. activity. The £67.7 million profit City generated from the transfer of
players’ registrations took the total from the last five years above
Thanks to a clear strategy, financial efficiency and the identification
£250 million from this increasingly material source of income. This
of new opportunities, City achieved the highest ever revenues and
will grow even further in 2022-23, boosted by an unprecedented
profits in the Club’s history.
post-season summer of transfer activity that generated the highest
Total revenue for the year reached a record £613.0 million, an ever gross player receipts in Premier League history, both in a
increase of £43.2 million over the prior year. This growth was due summer window and over a calendar year. This includes the transfer
to increases in commercial and matchday revenues. It comes of eight Academy graduates, highlighting the growing success of
despite a decrease in broadcasting revenue in this 2021-22 season, the Club’s Academy in nurturing footballers who go on to have
because matches in the 2019-20 season were included in the careers not only at Manchester City but also in the top leagues in
2020-21 financial year (due to the rescheduling of games during professional football more broadly.
the initial year of the COVID-19 pandemic).
City topped Deloitte’s Football Money League for the first time with
Matchday revenues returned to pre-COVID-19 levels, with all 27 the biggest revenues of any football club in Europe, ahead of Real
home games being played in front of fans, after a season in which Madrid and Bayern Munich in second and third place respectively.
25 of the 26 home games were played behind closed doors due The Money League lagged a year, so the data used was for the
to COVID-19 restrictions. This meant that this year’s matchday 2020-21 season. City’s strong performance in that year was due in
revenue of £54.5 million, which was up by more than £50 million part to its successful management during the COVID-19 pandemic.
year-on-year, was close to the £55.0 million achieved in 2018-19,
the last full season prior to COVID-19. Other commercial revenues
grew by £37.8 million, due to new sponsorship agreements and
the return of concerts to the Etihad Stadium following the end of the
COVID-19 pandemic.

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 84

Club revenues

Revenues rose by £43.2 million to a record £613.0 million in 2021-22,

with the return of fans to the Etihad Stadium restoring matchday income

£700M £613.0M
£569.8M
£600M £535.2M
£500.5M
£478.4M
£500M 309.4
227.0 271.7
£400M 232.3
246.4
£300M

£200M 211.5 253.2 249.1

190.3 297.4
£100M
56.7 55.0 41.7 0.7 54.5
£0M
2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22

MATCHDAY BROADCAST COMMERCIAL

Source: Manchester City

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 85

Club profits

Manchester City generated record profits in 2021-22

£10.4M 2017-18

£10.1M 2018-19

-£126.0M 2019-20

£2.4M 2020-21

£41.7M 2021-22

-£60M -£40M -£20M 0M £20M £40M £60M

Source: Manchester City

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 86

BRAND VALUE
Manchester City became the second most valuable
football brand in the world.

According to Brand Finance’s latest report, the Club’s

elevated position was credited to its continued on-field
performance, with City scoring well in metrics such
as ‘the club is ambitious’ and ‘the club has a global
following’. City has seen its brand value grow more
than ten-fold since 2011, becoming what is now the
highest-ranking Premier League club.

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 87

Brand value

Manchester City has risen to become the second most valuable football brand in the world

1. €1.525bn Real Madrid CF

2. 2 €1.327bn Manchester City FC

3. 1 €1.325bn FC Barcelona

4. 2 €1.272bn Liverpool FC

5. 2 €1.250bn Manchester United FC

Source: Brand Finance Football 50, 2022 (May 2022)

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 88

HAPPY SUPPORTERS
City was highly regarded by its fans when asked about
operational performance and maintaining the Club’s spirit.

In the annual Fan Engagement Survey conducted

independently by the Premier League – also referenced
in the Cityzens section of this report – City was awarded
very high scores by its fans when asked if they agreed
with a series of statements on how the Club is run.
In many instances, City comfortably outperformed
the average across Premier League clubs.

Notably, 97% of City fans agreed that the Club has a long-
term vision, 19 percentage points more than the Premier
League average (of 78%). And 95% of City fans agreed
that the Club performs well in its investment in facilities,
20 points above the Premier League average (of 75%).

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 89

Fan perceptions

Proportion of Manchester City fans surveyed who agree that their Club performs well in the following areas:

Has a long-term Maintains the Sustainable Investment in

vision ethos and traditions financial policy facilities
of the club

97% 87% 88% 95%

Source: Premier League Fan Engagement Survey 2021/22

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 90

COMMERCIAL
Moving beyond the COVID-19 pandemic through the
2021-22 season, we were able to come together to
create incredibly meaningful experiences for our growing
fanbase – on matchday and beyond – yielding significant
commercial momentum across all areas of the business.
Roel de Vries, Group Chief Operating Officer

This season, fans returned to the Etihad Stadium and City’s matchday revenues
returned to robust health – contributing to the highest turnover in the Club’s history.

With COVID-19 restrictions lifted in time for the start of the 2021-22 season, fans
had a strong desire to return to live matches and this was reflected across the board:
not only in demand for match tickets but also in bigger numbers on the Stadium
Tours, visits to the retail store and increased volume of food and beverage purchases.

Tickets and memberships helped to grow the proportion of ‘unique buyers’ within
the City database to record numbers, with more than 104,000 new buyers during
the season.

This year, City also considerably strengthened its recreational football offerings
both on digital platforms and through its City Football Schools around the world.

City Studios is a new, unique, world-class content hub at the heart of Manchester
City’s campus. It delivers content creation for City’s editorial output, for Club partners,
individual players, live production and City’s eSports offering. For partners, it has the
ability to take branded content to the next level, delivering partner messaging and
driving brand affinity while still providing fans with engaging output.

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 92

PARTNERSHIPS
City recorded its highest-ever Partnership revenues, welcoming Expo 2020 Dubai joined forces with City as its Official Exhibition
fantastic new partners and achieving best in class renewal Partner and Training Kit Partner, with the collaboration spanning City’s
rates. Many partners entered into their third or fourth terms men’s and women’s teams, as well as the Club’s Esports operation
in partnership with the Club. and other City Football Group (CFG) clubs in Mumbai, Melbourne,
New York and Yokohama. Guardiola and players from City’s men’s
12 new global and regional partners from all around the world
and women’s teams, Esports players and City legends
were welcomed this season, including OKX, Qualtrics, DreamSetGo,
all visited Expo 2020. At Expo, City Football Schools coaches
Aldar, Emirates Palace, Sony, Expo 2020 and Masdar.
delivered hundreds of sessions, engaging thousands of young players,
The Club renewed and expanded agreements with Nissan, Midea, and the subsequent content on City channels resulted in more than
Wix and Unilever. The growing breadth of partners across multiple three million engagements, generating significant media coverage
industries provide value well beyond the purely financial dimension; and allowing for collaborations with other partners including Nissan,
helping bring new experiences to those connected to City, whether Cisco, Gatorade, Etisalat and Xylem.
that be engaging content, product discounts, competitions and
Continued success on the pitch once again provided partners
experiences for fans, support for community projects or investment
with the opportunity to activate during high-profile sporting
into City’s sustainability agenda.
moments, with PUMA, Etihad, Etisalat, Nissan, Midea, Rexona
Amongst the most notable activations, Rexona utilised City’s and others producing Champions-specific campaigns and products
disability team for a major television commercial, while Nissan to commemorate the Club’s Premier League title.
ambitiously shot an adventurous campaign with manager,
Chief Commercial Officer Esteve Calzada said, “Ensuring our partners
Pep Guardiola, in which their Formula E car was driven over
join us on a journey, align with our values, provide new experiences
the Nexen Bridge into the Etihad Stadium.
for our fans and fully integrate with the Club is a key factor in our
continued success and growth commercially.”

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 93

RETAIL INNOVATION
For the 2021-22 season, City’s partnership with PUMA,
in its third year, continued to deliver innovative kits, training
wear and clothing that celebrated the Club’s history.

The home kit featured a design that subtly nodded to City's first-
ever Premier League title, with digital numbers over the sky-blue
strip. The water-inspired away strip celebrated football as a force
for good, while the third kit had bold ‘MAN CITY’ wording.

It was a record year for retail activity. Partner Stichd came on

board and helped improve the functionality of the online and
in-store retail offerings.

The new partnership brought a number of benefits to fans

and consumers, including click-and-collect services, the ability
to offer members specific products and discounts.

City also launched an official Amazon storefront, which has

also contributed to the Club’s highest-ever revenues.

With the CityStore open all year around, and the popularity
of the home and away kits, shirt sales grew significantly.
Sales from the CityStore increased by 25% year-on-year.

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 94

EDUCATION AND RECREATION
City’s offering in the recreational football space went from Following the merger in May 2021 of Goals US, owned by CFG, and
strength to strength with a number of new programmes. Sofive, this season the combined entity ran Manchester City Soccer
Academies (MCSA) across nine soccer centres nationwide.
In Manchester, the Club launched its Young Player Development
Programme in September 2021, a year-round offering giving children Separately, CFG partnered with BrandEd, pioneers of innovative
the opportunity to experience top coaching in world-class facilities. branded education, to launch the City Football Leadership Institute
in early 2022. The Institute sits at the intersection between business
With a more global focus, this season the Club launched a Coaching
and sport. The inaugural programme, NextGen, was delivered over the
Hub, a digital platform with learning and practical guidance for
summer, and was an immersive experience aimed at teens, taking place
recreational football coaches around the world, based on the City
between London and Manchester.
coaching philosophy.

By June 2022, it had users from more than 15 countries, all able
to access insights into coaching foundations, session plans, team
development, performance analysis, nutrition, strength
and conditioning.

This season also saw the launch of two new Manchester City Football
Schools, one hosted at British School Jakarta in Indonesia and one
at Parade College in Australia.

Further afield, the first ever combined Manchester City and Montevideo
City football camp launched in Uruguay. It followed the successful joint
camps between Manchester City and New York City FC, another of the
clubs from the CFG family, running this year for the third time, and selling
out its 12 weeks of programmes.

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 95

PEOPLE
There’s a passion to be the best, and make a real difference in everything we do. We believe an
inclusive approach generates better ideas and solutions for a diverse and changing landscape.
Carolyn Macnab, Chief People Officer

Given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on general employment City remains a highly attractive organisation to young people starting
stability, particular efforts were made to retain staff and develop their careers and the Club welcomed new recruits onto its Graduate
their careers. Scheme. After a competitive process during which the Club received
more than 300 applications, the scheme provided three graduates
City ran a successful internal jobs market during the pandemic.
with exposure to a number of areas of the business.
It took advantage of the many talented people who remained within
the organisation to hire and promote internally, ensuring minimal This year’s staff survey showed employees of Manchester City giving
business disruption. the organisation very high marks – well above industry benchmarks –
on statements such as ‘I feel proud to work for the company’.
There were movements, too, on the coaching side of the business,
where Carlos Vicens, former Under-18 manager, joined the first
team set-up as an assistant manager; and on the business side,
where Mike Green, Head of City in the Community, took up the new
position as CEO of Lommel SK, another club in the City Football
Group (CFG) network.

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 97

City people

Recognition for Manchester City as an employer for leadership and diversity

Results for Manchester City staff (as part of City Football Group-wide survey) and benchmarks for general industry and high-performing companies:

“I feel proud to work “The company is innovative

for the company” in how work is done”
MCFC SURVEY HIGH PERFORMING GENERAL INDUSTRY MCFC SURVEY HIGH PERFORMING GENERAL INDUSTRY
RESULT BENCHMARK BENCHMARK RESULT BENCHMARK BENCHMARK

89% 84% 77% 76% 70% 59%

“The company values “I would recommend

and promotes the company as a
employee diversity” good place to work”
MCFC SURVEY HIGH PERFORMING GENERAL INDUSTRY MCFC SURVEY HIGH PERFORMING GENERAL INDUSTRY
RESULT BENCHMARK BENCHMARK RESULT BENCHMARK BENCHMARK

81% 76% 71% 80% 78% 70%

Source: Manchester City

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 98

HELPING PERSONAL GROWTH
The Club supercharged its learning and development
opportunities with a strong focus on female staff.

Around 950 UK-based Manchester City and City Football Group

(CFG) staff took advantage of the learning and development
opportunities.

They totted up in excess of 80,000 days’ worth of activity,

from online webinars to accredited training courses, including
Apprenticeships (Lead at City, CIMA, Installation electrician
and maintenance electrician Level 3, ACCA, Financial Services
Professional Level 6, Coaching Level 5), Women in Football,
Empower, Change Catalyst, Chatterbox Language training,
Career Sprints, Management Sprints, project management
and many more.

The Club was specifically focused on increasing the number

of learning and development opportunities available for
female employees, including Emerge’s RISE Empowered
Women’s Development Programme and Women in Football’s
industry-leading training courses.

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 99

NEW WAYS TO WORK
After two years when many staff worked from home,
City recognised the need to implement more flexible
ways of working, whilst also delivering the operational
needs of the business.

A hybrid working strategy was trialled and City Football

Group’s (CFG) HQ office was reconfigured. This benefited both
those working in a hybrid way, and employees whose role
meant they physically needed to be onsite, with all employees
making use of 1-2-1 phone booths, collaborative spaces and
private working pods in City’s HQ.

‘In the City’, the Club’s staff consultation forum, continued to

meet regularly with the CFG Leadership Team, inputting on a
range of change initiatives from the Club’s family-friendly policy
to ‘reward and recognition’ schemes for employees. BeCity,
the Club’s volunteer engagement group, delivered bootcamp,
yoga and football sessions, and introduced netball training
sessions and a walking club, along with hosting ‘CityFest,’
a talent show that was attended by more than 150 staff.

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 100

100
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
The Club worked with industry-leading charities and support And in August, City showed its support for Manchester Pride, raising
groups to help build an inclusive environment for fans, staff, the Pride flag outside the Etihad Stadium ahead of the weekend, which
players and the wider community. was on show for City’s home game against Arsenal. For that game,
the matchday programme featured players sporting a PUMA x MCFC
This year, City announced two leadership schemes designed
limited edition Pride t-shirt, while Dave Alvarado, Chair of the Canal
to help young women at the start of their careers in football.
Street Blues Official LGBTQ+ Supporters Club, was interviewed at
The Young Women’s Leadership Programme provided 11 young half-time.
students from secondary schools across Greater Manchester
City is active throughout the year, supporting individual campaigns
with knowledge and experience to help them succeed in their
and inviting guest speakers to address staff. During Black History
chosen career path, while the Women’s Euro 2022 Legacy
Month, a distinguished panel of academics and former players
Internship scheme provided undergraduates with first-hand
discussed the Black history of Manchester. City also supported the
experience working within the Club.
Premier League’s ‘Football Remembers the Holocaust’ education
The Club also continued to collaborate with City Football Group’s programme, joining other clubs to meet with four Holocaust survivors,
employee-led Women’s Network to identify new initiatives and their families and representatives from the Premier League and the
programmes that can be introduced to improve gender balance Holocaust Educational Trust. And we recognised City's first Black player,
across the organisation and to provide a safe space for learning, Stan Horne, naming one of our Academy classrooms in his honour.
discussion and action. The Network had grown to more than Stan also received a league winners medal for his contributions to
150 members by June 2022. our 1967-68 winning campaign.
Mohammed Ullah, the Black, Asian and Mixed Heritage This year, the Club developed and appointed a new, dedicated Access
representative on City’s Official Fan Network, City Matters, hosted team, which is now the largest in the Premier League. Crucially, all
Iftar at the Etihad Stadium, bringing together over 150 members members of the team have lived experience of disability. Its focus is
of the Muslim community – the first time such an event has been not only to develop a more accessible, inclusive and positive matchday,
held at the stadium. but also to ensure accessibility is laced through the fabric of everything
For LGBTQ+ History Month, first team players from the men’s we do at the Club.
and women’s team met with Canal Street Blues, the Club’s official Listening to the voices of those living with disabilities is at the heart
LGBTQ+ branch, to discuss how to make football a welcoming of our Access Strategy. In order to ensure an evidence-based and
environment for all, and the matchday programme featured an user-led approach, we have diversified the platforms via which we
interview with City Matters’ LGBTQ+ rep, Francesca Lever. gather feedback, and have developed an accessible matchday survey
to work alongside our other existing avenues for dialogue with disabled
supporters. These include a dedicated Disability Rep on the City
Matters group and the Disabled Supporters Association.
MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 101
SUSTAINABILITY
Environmental impact is central to our Club’s vision – we want to grow a sustainable
and socially responsible organisation, with close ties to our community.
Pete Bradshaw, Director of Sustainability

City made significant steps over the season to reduce CO2 With fans returning to matches this season, the extra footfall and
emissions and waste, whilst setting a credible path towards activity at the Etihad Stadium might have been expected to lead to
Net Zero by 2030. greater waste. Despite this, the Club succeeded in delivering a 16%
reduction in the volume of waste handling year-on-year, with re-use
Manchester City has actively committed to a clear road map
and recycling up by 11% on last season. A successful on-site trial at
to credible Net Zero by 2030 – by managing energy consumption,
the Etihad Campus took food and other waste and grass cuttings
reducing or eradicating waste, working with fans and the community
collected from around the site and used it to produce compost
to seek changes to travel and transport, and mitigating negative
material for use around the landscape. This innovative trial promoted
impacts through local ecology and biodiversity.
efficient uses of waste and was environmentally beneficial – as well
This year, Manchester City achieved an impressive reduction as saving the Club money.
in CO2 emissions of 31.8%, measured relative to the annual
With fans’ travel to games a significant contributor to the Club’s
pre-pandemic trend (the best like-for-like comparison, given
overall CO2 footprint, more than 4,000 fans participated in a survey
that most games were played behind closed doors last season).
running across the entire season to examine the travel patterns of
Its 'Scope 2' emissions, associated mostly with the consumption
fans and staff and develop practical sustainable travel opportunities
of electricity and gas, were down by 18%. These improvements
for the future. This study, one of the biggest of its kind, will continue
were achieved as a result of work undertaken by the Club across
into the 2022-23 season.
operational areas to reduce waste and through energy management
and investment – including a 26% fall in gas consumption and
the purchase of electricity only from certified renewables.

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 103

103
Two initiatives this year exemplified our desire to shine a spotlight
on sustainability issues and get people excited about sustainability.
In April, the men’s and women’s first teams wore special jerseys that
were made using repurposed football jerseys as part of our partner
PUMA’s 'RE:JERSEY' project that aims to reduce waste and point
towards more recycled production models in the future.

And we designed and created three “mancgroves” – a Mancunian

version of a mangrove that is suited to Manchester’s particular local
climate to maximise carbon absorption. The mancgroves consist of
‘wetlands’ that encourage local plant life and ground cover in order to
attract wildlife in significant numbers. They are designed to be small
enough to fit on an apartment balcony or big enough to go on a field.
We showcased them to local primary schools, which have already
shown interest in creating their own – and told us that they helped
with their STEM education curriculum.

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 104

104
Environmental commitments

32%
Reduction in carbon footprint Growth in re-use and recycling
relative to 2019-20 year-on-year

The CO2 trend has fallen following Initiatives included the

significant work in reducing waste eradication of single use plastics
and through energy management from matchday and general
and investment. The Club’s “Scope operations, and a focus on waste
2” emissions, which are mostly recycling, re-use and upcycling
associated with the consumption
of electricity and gas, fell by 18%

16% 26%
Reduction in waste handling Reduction in gas consumption
year-on-year year-on-year

This follows the targeting of This reduction was achieved via heat
waste reduction by the Club’s and cooling efficiencies and further
facilities management teams in managing of energy waste. Initiatives
recent years. This season, we this year included a change in our
introduced an anaerobic digester approach to heating buildings, with
that produces useable compost temperatures reduced by 1.5 degrees
and takes away food waste and
grass waste

Source: Manchester City

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 105

PARTNERS AND INNOVATION
Manchester City worked with like-minded partners
to raise awareness of sustainability issues.

Nissan launched their ‘Be More Pep’ campaign, featuring

manager Pep Guardiola promoting sustainable travel options.

In addition, the Club announced the renewal of its multi-year

global partnership with water technology company, Xylem,
working to raise awareness of the water challenges that exist
around the world. Through the partnership to date, City Football
Group and Xylem have already reached more than one billion
people through water awareness, education and volunteerism
initiatives that advance their shared mission to create a more
sustainable world.

Garden Gourmet and Nestlé provided a broader and improved

food offering for fans and helped lower the carbon footprint
in the Etihad Stadium with sustainable and vegan food options.

Finally, Masdar, a global leader in renewable energy, clean

technologies and sustainable development, partnered with City
in January 2022. As part of the new agreement, City and Masdar
will collaborate on a range of partnership activities, including the
launch of a new global campaign aimed at raising awareness on
the importance of climate action and mitigating climate change.

MANCHESTER CITY ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 106