Ferran Soriano is fighting for his future at Manchester City as well as his reputation following the club’s guilty verdict, according to a fresh report from The Athletic.
The long-serving chief executive has been a central figure at Man City throughout their transformation into one of football’s dominant forces, having arrived from Barcelona in 2012.
Daniel Taylor reports for The Athletic that Soriano now faces major questions over his position if City’s appeal fails to overturn the independent commission’s findings.
The report asks how Soriano could continue in his role at City, or as the Premier League’s representative on the European Football Clubs board, if the findings stand and significant punishment follows.
Soriano under scrutiny after Man City verdict
Soriano addressed City employees following the verdict in a three-minute video message, dismissing the Premier League investigation as a “conspiracy theory” and expressing confidence that the club would win its appeal and ultimately be vindicated.
The Athletic reports that various City staff members, speaking anonymously to protect working relationships, found it difficult to watch Soriano’s protestations of innocence and know exactly what to believe.
Former colleagues offer contrasting descriptions of the City chief executive. One former City Football Group employee calls him “supersmart” and compares his ability to command a room to former Apple chief executive Steve Jobs, while others describe him as detached, bullish and difficult to read.
Soriano’s importance to City’s modern era also makes it difficult to separate his reputation from the case.
The Athletic revisits his role in the club’s development and an email published by Der Spiegel in which Soriano wrote that City needed to fight football’s financial rules in a way that was “not visible”.
There is important balance within the report. Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, president of European Football Clubs, points out that City deny cheating and retain the right to appeal, while describing Soriano as a major asset to the EFC board.
City continue to challenge the commission’s findings and Soriano has maintained that the appeal will vindicate the club.
There is no suggestion in The Athletic’s report that City have decided to remove their chief executive. Its assessment is instead that Soriano’s reputation and future are now closely tied to what happens next.
As Taylor concludes, Soriano is fighting for his own future as well as City’s.
