Manchester City is an English football (soccer) club based in the city of Manchester. It is part of the Premier League, consisting of the top twenty teams in all of England. The league operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. This means that at the end of each season, the top four teams from The Football League are promoted to the Premier League, and the bottom four teams in the Premier League are relegated to The Football League.
Manchester City’s most successful period was during the late ’60s and early ’70s. During this time, the football club one the League Championship, the FA Cup, the League Cup and European Cup Winners’ Cup. The club’s success began to falter in the early 1980s. The club went through a series of poor managers, and large sums of money were wasted on unsuccessful signings like Steve Daley, all of which culminated in relegation to the third tier of the English football system for the first time in history.
After relegation, the club underwent a number of managerial changes. This brought more organization to the club as well as greater fiscal discipline. In 2008, Abu Dhabi United Group purchased the club. The change in ownership sparked a series of bids for high profile players, and in 2009, the club spent over £100 million on new players. As a result, during the 2010-2011 season Manchester City won the FA Cup for the first time since 1969.
This year the team is on track to with the English Premier League title for the first time in 44 years. Manchester City kicked off the season with a 6-1 victory over Manchester United, one of the worst losses for Man U since the 1950s. A combination of great management and a number of high profile players is starting to pay off for Man City.
Perhaps the most popular Manchester City player is midfielder Yaya Touré. He was born in Cote d’Ivoire and has been playing professionally since 2001. In 2007 he was signed to FC Barcelona, becoming the first Ivorian to play for Barcelona. Touré’s popularity soared during his time, but in 2010 he made the difficult decision to leave Camp Nou and join Manchester City. Manchester City has made Touré the highest earning Premier League player in the world, with a five-year contract worth £55.6 million. His expensive price tag has paid off for Man City. Touré scored both goals against Newcastle last weekend and helped put the team in a prime position to win the EPL title.
The team is just one game away from securing the EPL title. Next weekend, they will play the Queens Park Rangers at home. If both Manchester City and Manchester United win their last matches, their records will be tied. However, since Manchester City has a greater goal differential, they will take the EPL title. In an interview with The Guardian, Yaya Touré noted “I have always said I came to the club to make history even if some people said I came for different things… We have one game at home against QPR. That’s going to be tough, but we have one match left to play at home and we have to deliver in this game.”
Manchester City plays QPR at home next Sunday, May 13 at 3 p.m. There is a lot at stake, but the outcome of next weekend’s matches could make history for the Manchester City club.
QPR at home next Sunday, May 13th at 3pm. There is a lot at stake, but the outcome of next weekend’s matches could make history for the Manchester City club.