A boardroom insider at Arsenal has revealed something significant regarding Man City.

A former executive at Arsenal has revealed some really intimate details about what goes on behind closed doors at Man City.

The last two Premier League title battles have been contested by Arsenal and Man City, with the Gunners losing both times.

Only three times since Abu Dhabi United Group’s takeover in 2008 has Arsenal finished higher than City in the Premier League; two of those times occurred in the first two years following the takeover.

Many fans have proposed that an asterisk be placed next to a number of those seasons since Man City is reported to have committed 115 infractions involving financial disclosure and Premier League cooperation.

City has consistently and adamantly refuted the allegations, promising to vindicate its name in the event that an impartial tribunal hears the matter.

This week, it was revealed that the trial will take place the following month and that the Premier League was hoping for a conclusion by the end of the 2024–25 campaign.

A portion of the 115 charges go all the way back to 2009, right after the acquisition funded by Abu Dhabi.

CEO of City at the time was Garry Cook, who held the position until 2011.

Cook managed the appointments of Roberto Mancini as manager, a move that resulted in City’s first Premier League title, and handled the signings of Robinho and later Carlos Tevez, Gareth Barry, and other players.

However, as events now stand, things might have turned out quite differently, and Arsenal might have indirectly altered the path of history.

Ivan Gazidis admits that before joining Arsenal, he turned down Man City.
Currently holding the position of chairman of AS Saint-Étienne in Ligue 1, Ivan Gazidis was instrumental in the club’s acquisition by Kilmer Sports Ventures.

He had held a comparable role at AC Milan before, where in 2020–21 he contributed to the team’s first Serie A championship in nearly a decade.

Gazidis served as Arsenal’s chief executive officer from 2008 till 2018.

But Gazidis disclosed in an interview with the Excellent Leadership Podcast that he was on the verge of taking Garry Cook’s position at Man City before switching to Arsenal.

“I just had to do it when this opportunity with Arsenal came up,” he remarked. It has to do with competing at the greatest level in football.

“Going from a league to a team also means experiencing that electric and thrilling feeling you get on the weekends during important games—something I recall from my childhood football games. That was what I desired to have.

In a way, it was really that simple. Maintaining a league requires constant balancing between various owners and interests; hence, it’s necessary to maintain a certain level of detachment from these ups and downs.

“I wanted to be a part of the Premier League, which was the best league in the world in terms of players, atmosphere, competition quality, and so on. I also wanted to live on the edge.” I decided to move to Arsenal as a result.

The story is a little bit complicated. The previous year, Manchester City had made contact with me. I had expressed my disinterest at the time, prior to their takeover.

However, I believe that once people start thinking about your name, it eventually gets out there. A few months later, Arsenal approached me and said, “You know, we’d like you to, we’d be interested in putting you into the process.”

Having gone through the Manchester City experience, I really don’t want to go through it again, I added. Even though I was born and raised in England and identify as English, you won’t appoint someone you believe will be mistaken for an American, and inviting someone from the US league is a bit of a wild card.

Thus, I don’t believe that will occur. Thank you very much for your attention, but I just don’t want to go through that emotional ordeal. I’m content right now, where I am.

And they underwent a process of their own, and after it was over—roughly six or seven months later—they told me, “No, you’re the one we want.” And that was, well, that was too good to refuse.

How does Arsenal feel about City’s 115 charges?
Arsenal is among the clubs that have not yet stated their stance on the Premier League’s case against Man City.

We do know, however, that in Man City City’s reverse dispute concerning connected party transaction restrictions, Arsenal is thought to have taken the side of the Premier League.

The Premier League’s requirements that sponsorship agreements with owner-affiliated companies be judged to fulfill fair market value standards are allegedly anti-competitive, according to City.