Manchester City timeline: trophies, transfers and more than 100 charges

September 2008

Manchester City bought by Abu Dhabi investors

On a dramatic transfer deadline day, the Abu Dhabi United Group (Adug) agrees a £200m takeover of Manchester City. The group, led by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan – a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family – buys 90% of the club from Thaksin Shinawatra. The new owners make an immediate impact with the £32.5m signing of Robinho from Real Madrid before the transfer window closes.

August 2009

First summer of big spending

Having signed Vincent Kompany and Pablo Zabaleta before the takeover, Mark Hughes adds Nigel de Jong (£16m) and Craig Bellamy (£14.5m) in January 2009 but City only finish 10th. In the summer window, Gareth Barry (£12m), Joleon Lescott (£22m) and Emmanuel Adebayor (£25m) arrive. City’s move to take former Manchester United forward Carlos Tevez (£25.5m) – complete with provocative poster – leads Sir Alex Ferguson to dub them “noisy neighbours”.

December 2009

Exit Hughes, enter Mancini

Mark Hughes fails to lead the team up the table and is sacked, replaced by Roberto Mancini. Form improves but City miss out on the top four after a home defeat by Tottenham. In the summer, a number of big names arrive – Yaya Touré, David Silva and Mario Balotelli, costing £24m each, plus James Milner in a deal worth £18m. In August 2010, Sheikh Mansour attends his first (and still only) City home game, a 3-0 victory over Liverpool.

May 2011

FA Cup ends trophy drought

With the addition of Edin Dzeko (£27m) in January 2011, Mancini is able to steer City to a third-place finish and a first Champions League campaign. In the FA Cup, Touré’s winner stuns United in the semi-final and the Ivorian strikes again in the final against Stoke. Victory ends a 35-year wait for a major trophy – and marks the end of an infamous Old Trafford banner.

August 2011

Etihad deal and Uefa’s new era

Having first been established in September 2009, financial fair play (FFP) rules are introduced by Uefa for the 2011-12 season. City offer an early test of the new system, announcing a 10-year sponsorship deal with Etihad Airways (the UAE’s national airline) in July 2011. City’s home ground is renamed the Etihad Stadium as part of the deal.

May 2012

Agüerooooo: last-gasp title glory

With club-record signing Sergio Agüero (£38m) and Samir Nasri (£24m) arriving in the summer of 2011, City emerge as title contenders and thrash United 6-1 at Old Trafford. Things don’t go so well in Europe, and Tevez goes awol after a row with Mancini. United pull eight points clear at the top, but Tevez returns and a 1-0 win over Ferguson’s men at the Etihad puts City back on top. They need to beat QPR at home on the final day but head into stoppage time 2-1 down; Dzeko nods in an equaliser before Agüero scores in the 94th minute to win the title and spark pandemonium.

June 2013

Ciao Roberto, hola Manuel

Mancini’s second season begins with questionable deadline-day signings – Jack Rodwell, Javi García and Scott Sinclair arrive for a combined £35m. A disappointing campaign ends with United reclaiming the title and defeat by Wigan in the FA Cup final. City sack the Italian, one year and a day after he won the title. His replacement, Manuel Pellegrini, is hired from Málaga. Tevez joins Adebayor and Balotelli in leaving the club, with the arrival of Fernandinho (£30m) signalling a new approach.

August 2013

New York and new rules

Having previously held discussions with MLS chiefs while at Barcelona, Ferran Soriano – who became City’s CEO in August 2012 – is approached about investing in an expansion team. City invest $100m, alongside the New York Yankees, to launch New York City FC. The club also create the City Football Group (CFG), an umbrella company to manage a planned multi-club ownership model. Meanwhile in the Premier League, profit and sustainability rules (PSR) are brought in for the 2013-14 season, mirroring Uefa’s FFP guidelines.

May 2014

Second Premier League title

Pellegrini leads City to the league title when Liverpool slip up on the home straight, and takes them into the Champions League knockouts for the first time. They suffer a chastening defeat by Barcelona in the last 16, but the new manager also wins the League Cup, beating Sunderland 3-1 in the final.

May 2014

City fined by Uefa over breaches

Days after securing the title, City reluctantly accept a conditional €60m (£49m) Uefa fine after recording combined losses of over £150m in the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons. The club are also restricted to a 21-man European squad and £49m net spend over the next season – but have the opportunity to recoup two-thirds of the penalty by meeting future targets.

August 2015

Transfer trouble and no trophies

The 2014-15 season ends without a trophy. City finish second to Chelsea in the league and are beaten by Barcelona again in Europe. Big-money buys Eliaquim Mangala (£41m) and Wilfried Bony (£25m) flop. Despite an underwhelming campaign and City being linked with Pep Guardiola, Pellegrini extends his deal to June 2017, and is backed with new attacking recruits Raheem Sterling (£44m) and Kevin De Bruyne (£55m).

December 2015

CFG, China and women’s team

CFG announce a £265m deal with Chinese investors CMC for a 13% stake in the club. Khaldoon al-Mubarak, City’s chairman, says the deal will “leverage the incredible potential that exists in China”. CFG have by this stage added A-League club Melbourne City and Japan’s Yokohama F Marinos to the fold, and also made Manchester City’s affiliate women’s team part of the group.

February 2016

Pep signs up, progress in Europe

Pellegrini’s team labour to fourth place in the league and the Chilean confirms in February he will leave at the end of the season. It is quickly revealed that his replacement will be Guardiola. Pellegrini leads City to the Champions League semi-finals – where they lose narrowly to Real Madrid – and beats Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool in the League Cup final.

May 2017