Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan has a little-known, indirect connection to the ownership group behind Liverpool FC, despite the fierce rivalry that has defined English football over the past decade.

Mansour, through the Abu Dhabi United Group—now part of the City Football Group—completed his takeover of Manchester City in September 2008.

Since then, City have become a global powerhouse, winning 23 trophies, including eight Premier League titles, under his reign.

Interestingly, Mansour has only attended two matches in person: a league game against Liverpool in 2010 and the 2023 Champions League final against Inter Milan.

The Overlooked Connection Between Sheikh Mansour and Liverpool’s Owners

City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has long served as the public face of the club’s hierarchy, regularly speaking on behalf of the owners.

Yet, away from football’s spotlight, business dealings in recent years have created a subtle overlap between Mansour’s network and Liverpool’s financial ecosystem.

According to reports from Defensa Central, Mansour’s International Media Investments (IMI) poured $750 million into a fund created by American firm RedBird Capital Partners in 2023.

This led to the creation of RedBird IMI, a joint venture specializing in sports and media investments.

RedBird Capital Partners itself owns an 11% stake in Fenway Sports Group (FSG)—Liverpool’s parent company—making the firm an indirect part-owner of the Merseyside club.

One of RedBird’s prominent partners is NBA superstar LeBron James, who is also a minority stakeholder in Liverpool.

No Operational Ties

Despite the financial web, there is no direct ownership or operational involvement between Mansour’s IMI and Liverpool or FSG.

Both The Guardian and TBR Football note that the investment remains purely financial, without any influence over footballing matters.

Such interconnected deals are not uncommon in modern football.

Chelsea’s owners, Clearlake Capital, for example, have also received funding from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF)—yet neither side holds direct stakes in each other’s operations.

Meanwhile, RedBird continues to expand its sporting empire, holding a majority stake in AC Milan, further solidifying its influence across European football.

Even in the world’s most competitive leagues, it seems that behind every rivalry lies a surprising thread of shared financial DNA.