They say money makes the world go round, and it can certainly help when it comes to transfers, but the richest owners aren’t always the most successful when it comes to football.
Manchester City have rather made a fool out of the idea of a proper Premier League title race this season, running off with a 10 point lead already in February.
Many will say it’s inevitable considering the spending power City still have, and the fact they were able to outspend recent title rivals Liverpool last summer amidst the pandemic.
It’ll come as little surprise to most to know that City’s owner Sheikh Mansour is the richest club owner in world football.
However it doesn’t prove that money instantly equals success as some on the list definitely haven’t brought guaranteed silverware to their teams. (Figures via Sport Mob)
10. Robert Kraft – New England Revolution, MLS – $6.9 billion
=. Zhang Jindong – Inter, Serie A – $8 billion
8. Nasser Al-Khelaifi – PSG, Ligue 1 – $8 billion
7. Stan Kroenke – Arsenal/ Colorado Rapid, Premier League/MLS -$8.3 billion
6. Philip Anschutz – LA Galaxy, MLS – $10.1 billion
5. Roman Abramovich – Chelsea, Premier League – $12.5 billion
4. Dietmar Hopp – Hoffenheim, Bundesliga – $18.5 billion
3. Andrea Agnelli – Juventus, Serie A – $19.1 billion
2. Dietrich Mateschitz – RB Leipzig/ Red Bull Salzburg, German Bundesliga/Austrian Bundesliga – $26.9 billion
1. Sheikh Mansour- Manchester City, Premier League – $30 billion
Since Mansour, via the City Football Group, bought the club in 2008, for £210 million, the club have had an incredible run of success.
The club have won four Premier League tiles, their first league titles since 1968, been runners up on three further occasions, and won two FA Cups and five League Cups.
They look certain to win a fifth league title this year but the Champions League remains the club’s holy grail.
On the other side of the success is the fact that Arsenal’s owner Stan Kroenke is so high up on the list in seventh place, despite not winning much with the Gunners.
The American has owned 62.89% of the club’s shares since 2011, and bought out second largest shareholder Alisher Usmanov in 2018, but they have only won four FA Cups in that time, which is more successful than many but they haven’t come close to winning the league.
