// BBC UK NEWS — CRONACA
Property, football and politics: The links between Manchester and Abu Dhabi explained
The Abu Dhabi United Group took over Manchester City in 2008
When Manchester City was found guilty in September of breaching Premier League financial rules, the damning and unprecedented verdict left the football world reeling.
An independent commission said the club had "systematically" broken rules between 2009 and 2018 by inflating sponsorship revenue to disguise secret funding of more than £830m into its football operations.
Speculation is now rife about the level of punishment City will face, although the club denies any wrongdoing and has appealed against the ruling.
While we await the outcome, the historical relationship between City's Abu Dhabi-based owners and Manchester's political elite - including the now Prime Minister Andy Burnham - has been in the spotlight.
Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan (centre) bought Man City in a £200m deal
There has been a focus on land deals, multimillion-pound regeneration schemes, and more recently, investigations into loans handed out to property companies owned ultimately by City's owner, the Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG).
Beyond the on-field success at the Eithad Stadium, what exactly is the Abu Dhabi story in Manchester?
The story began in 2008 when Manchester City was bought by ADUG in a £200m deal. The Citizens were now owned by Sheikh Mansour, the United Arab Emirates deputy prime minister and a member of its ruling family.
Overnight, City had become one of the richest clubs in the world.