THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
MANCHESTER, England — Mark Hughes was given an "absolute mandate" to revive Manchester City’s flagging fortunes on Wednesday, but the wealthy Abu Dhabi owners said the Premier League club must become a global force.
The two-hour meeting in the United Arab Emirates scrutinizing City’s future prospects came three days after the side slipped to 13th in the standings after a third straight league loss.
Hughes received the emphatic backing of Sheik Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the member of the emirate’s royal family who led the Abu Dhabi United Group’s purchase of the club in September from former Thailand prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
"Mark shared with me his plans for how the team should be developed," Sheik Mansour said. "His strategy is compelling and he has my absolute mandate to implement his plans to evolve this team in the right way over the short, medium and long terms."
The Arab group’s oil wealth makes City potentially the richest team in international soccer and, immediately after buying its 90 per cent stake, bought Brazil forward Robinho from Real Madrid for a British record transfer fee of 32.5 million pounds (C$60 million).
Hughes, who was accompanied on his trip to Abu Dhabi by executive chairman Garry Cook, hopes to reinforce the team further in the January transfer window to help propel City up the table and into the qualification spots for Europe.
"I find that both Mark and Garry share an ambition for success and the enthusiasm and capability to deliver on that ambition," Sheik Mansour said. "I’m delighted at the potential for both men to positively impact the evolution of Manchester City Football Club in its entirety …
"They reflect our shared aim of seeing Manchester City Football Club evolve to become a significant force in the world of football."
Hughes said the lofty task is not beyond him, but called for an end to speculation about his future. Recent press reports have suggested that the patience of the new owners may be wearing thin, given the relatively poor run of results since their takeover.
"At the moment, it is all a little bit hysterical, you have to say. People will have to calm down a bit," Hughes said. "But we will get points on the board because of the quality we have in the squad."