Manchester City selling Club World Cup for TV

Manchester City is marketing the Club World Cup for television, even amid the possibility of facing a ban. Manchester City selling the Club World cup for TV, in an exclusive update, it has been revealed that City’s CEO, Ferran Soriano, has engaged in discussions with Fifa regarding strategies to enhance the tournament’s appeal.

Manchester City are working closely with Fifa to sell the Club World Cup to broadcasters despite the possibility they could be banned from next summer’s competition for breaching the Premier League’s financial rules.

Telegraph Sport has learnt that Manchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano has held talks with Fifa over how the club can help promote the tournament and spoke enthusiastically about the Club World Cup in a video conference hosted by president Gianni Infantino on Friday the Manchester City selling Club World Cup to TV companies.

Soriano was the first club representative to speak after Infantino and Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, who was appearing in his role as chairman of the European Club Association. The Spaniard is understood to have told the meeting of media executives that City is fully behind the Club World Cup and is happy to help promote it.

All 32 clubs who have qualified are enthusiastic about the Club World Cup despite some of the players involved, including City’s Rodri and Bernando Silva, raising concerns over suffering from fatigue and burnout.

Soriano is understood to have shown strong support to Fifa in recent months over the Club World Cup, raising the question of whether football’s world governing body would expel City from the competition if they are found guilty of some of the 115 alleged financial breaches that are currently being heard by an independent commission.

The Premier League would push for any ban given to City to apply to all competitions worldwide, while Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United, who have not qualified for the Club World Cup, would lobby Fifa to replace them if found guilty. The verdict following a ten-week hearing is expected at the start of next year.

Manchester City are the Club World Cup holders, beating Brazilian side Fluminense in the final in Jeddah last year, and along with Chelsea are due to represent the Premier League in the expanded tournament in the United States next summer.

Fifa has been grateful for City’s backing, as setting up the expanded 32-team Club World Cup has been fraught with problems over venues, sponsorship deals and prize money, and with global broadcast partners yet to be announced nine months before it is due to start.

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Other big clubs have been less supportive, with Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti causing a diplomatic storm in June by saying that the Champions League holders would “refuse the invitation” due to the lack of financial rewards, comments which were quickly retracted.

Soriano’s support is particularly important to Fifa because of his role as chief executive of the Manchester City Football Group, a global network of 12 clubs. None of their other clubs have qualified for the tournament, but CFC can provide Fifa with potentially useful information about commercial and broadcast partners in other territories.

Soriano and Infantino addressed a global audience of more than 50 TV companies and streaming providers to sell the Club World Cup. Inter Milan chief executive Giuseppe Marotta and Atlético Madrid’s Miguel Ángel Gil Marín also spoke at the meeting.

Infantino told the meeting that Fifa would confirm all stadium venues by the end of September.