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127-727: Manchester City is represented at Reserve level for football by the Elite Development Squad, also referred to as just the Elite Squad, or EDS, a predominantly Under-23 side that replaced the previous (more senior) Reserve team in a move to focus on youth development post-academy. The club is represented at the Under-18 level by the Manchester City Academy team. City currently hold the 2023–24 FA Youth Cup. The Elite Development Squad have played in

254-542: A heraldic badge was granted by the College of Arms to the English Football League for use by City. The badge consisted of the familiar ship above a red rose but on a circular device instead of a shield (blazoned as " A roundel per fess azure and argent in chief a three masted ship sails set pennons flying or in base a rose gules barbed and seeded proper "). On occasions when Manchester City played in

381-490: A notable rivalry with Liverpool , currently considered one of the biggest in association football. Though the two clubs had been involved in a title race in the 1976–77 season , Liverpool and City's modern rivalry began in the 2010s, with the Blues beating Liverpool to the 2013–14 title by just two points on the final day of the season. In the final of the 2015–16 League Cup , City defeated Liverpool on penalties after

508-480: A "clear connection" to a country that they had not been born in but wished to represent. This ruling explicitly stated that, in such scenarios, the player must have at least one parent or grandparent who was born in that country, or the player must have been resident in that country for at least two years. In November 2007, FIFA President Sepp Blatter told the BBC: "If we don't stop this farce, if we don't take care about

635-529: A 1–1 draw. The two clubs met in European competition for the first time in the 2017–18 Champions League quarter-finals, where Liverpool won 5–1 on aggregate , ultimately reaching the final and then winning the competition a year later. In the 2018–19 season , City again won the title on the final day, with the Blues' 98 points and Liverpool's 97 being the third- and fourth-highest Premier League points totals ever. The following season , Liverpool clinched

762-737: A British-based holding company valued at £3.73 ($ 4.8) billion in November 2019 and majority-owned by the Abu Dhabi United Group . City gained their first honours by winning the Second Division in 1899 ; with it came promotion to the highest level in English football, the First Division . They went on to claim their first major honour on 23 April 1904 , beating Bolton Wanderers 1–0 at Crystal Palace to win

889-532: A European trophy and a domestic trophy in the same season. The club continued to challenge for honours throughout the 1970s, finishing one point behind the league champions on two occasions and reaching the final of the 1974 League Cup . One of the matches from this period that is most fondly remembered by supporters of Manchester City is the final match of the 1973–74 season against arch-rivals Manchester United, who needed to win to have any hope of avoiding relegation. Former United player Denis Law scored with

1016-411: A FIFA-affiliated association. In 2004, FIFA introduced a rule requiring players to demonstrate a "clear connection" to any country they wish to represent, a response to the trend of naturalising foreign players. FIFA has the authority to overturn results of international matches featuring ineligible players. In January 2021, FIFA revamped the eligibility system, allowing players tied to one nationality

1143-623: A UK nation, Northern Ireland attempted to call up Germany-born Maik Taylor, Nigeria-born Dele Adebola and Jamaica-born David Johnson. McMenemy's successor Sammy McIlroy was not pleased with his predecessor's policy, upon being appointed as Northern Ireland manager he said: "It's farcical chasing players with absolutely no connection to our country." Former FA executive David Davies confirmed that England had once considered calling up Italian Carlo Cudicini , Brazilian Edu and Frenchmen Steed Malbranque and Louis Saha during Sven-Göran Eriksson 's time as England manager. In February 2004, there

1270-605: A backheel to give City a 1–0 win at Old Trafford and confirm the relegation of their rivals. The final trophy of the club's most successful period of the 20th century was won in 1976, when Newcastle United were beaten 2–1 in the League Cup final . A long period of decline followed the success of the 1960s and 1970s. Malcolm Allison rejoined the club to become manager for the second time in 1979, but squandered large sums of money on several unsuccessful signings, such as Steve Daley . A succession of managers then followed – seven in

1397-537: A common nationality with at least one other FIFA member association. In these instances, under Article 6.1 of the Regulations Governing the Applications of Statutes, FIFA Statutes (nationality entitling players to represent more than one association), if a player was not born in the member associations' territory and does not have a parent or grandparent that was born in the territory, the player

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1524-675: A country in virtue of that country's laws shall be eligible to play for a national or representative team of that country." As there is no United Kingdom national team, he was eligible to choose a "representative team of the country" and opted for Northern Ireland. Eric Young (born in Singapore) and Pat Van Den Hauwe (born in Belgium) had both previously opted for Wales under the same rules in 1985 and 1990 respectively, although both grew up in England; Australian Tony Dorigo had been denied

1651-619: A financially precarious position. Thaksin Shinawatra had taken control of the club the year before, but his political travails saw his assets frozen. Then, in August 2008, City were purchased by the Abu Dhabi United Group . The takeover was immediately followed by a flurry of bids for high-profile players; the club broke the British transfer record by signing Brazilian international Robinho from Real Madrid for £32.5 million. There

1778-406: A frequent sight in the 1988–89 season , as the craze spread to other clubs (inflatable fish were seen at Grimsby Town ), with the craze reaching its peak at City's match at Stoke City on 26 December 1988, a game declared by fanzines as a fancy dress party. In 2010, Manchester City supporters adopted an exuberant dance, dubbed The Poznań , from fans of Polish club Lech Poznań that they played in

1905-843: A golden eagle was added to the city's badge in 1958 (but had since been removed), representing the growing aviation industry. The shield featured a ship on its upper half representing the Manchester Ship Canal , and three diagonal stripes in the lower half symbolised the city's three rivers – the Irwell , the Irk and the Medlock . The bottom of the badge bore the motto " Superbia in Proelio ", which translates as "Pride in Battle" in Latin . Above

2032-576: A history with Northern Ireland. Sanchez spoke of his frustration with the rule: "I must stick by the British agreement which says that you shouldn't approach a player unless he has family ties with that particular country. "It's frustrating but my job is to manage the Northern Ireland international team and theirs (the Irish FA ) is to make policy. "I must continue to work with the players I have and I'm very happy to do that. The wording of

2159-462: A major cup final, the club wore shirts bearing the City of Manchester coat of arms, as a symbol of pride in representing the city at a major event. This practice originated from a time when the players' shirts did not normally bear a badge of any kind. The club has since abandoned the practice; for the 2011 FA Cup final , its first in the 21st century, City used the usual badge with a special legend, but

2286-1013: A manager". In September 2019, Klopp hailed Guardiola for being his 'greatest rival ever', after both were nominated for the FIFA Men's Coach of the Year award in 2019, which Klopp ultimately won. In a 2019 survey, City fans answered that Liverpool, and not Manchester United, are the club's biggest rivals. Manchester City also have long established local rivalries with Bolton Wanderers , Oldham Athletic , and Stockport County , and more recent competitive Premier League rivalries with Tottenham Hotspur , Chelsea and Arsenal . FIFA eligibility rules Traditionally, athlete eligibility has been tied to legal nationality, allowing players with multiple nationalities to represent more than one country, especially after naturalisation. However, national teams are organised by national football associations, not all of which are affiliated with FIFA. Some countries, like

2413-638: A merger of two existing organisations in 2010: the Official Supporters Club (OSC) and the Centenary Supporters Association (CSA). City fans' song of choice is a rendition of " Blue Moon ", which despite its melancholic theme is belted out with gusto as though it were a heroic anthem. City supporters tend to believe that unpredictability is an inherent trait of their team, and label unexpected results "typical City". Events that fans regard as "typical City" include

2540-612: A new era of unprecedented success, with the club winning the FA Cup in 2011 and the Premier League in 2012 , both their first since the 1960s, followed by another league title in 2014 . Under the management of Pep Guardiola , Manchester City won the Premier League in 2018 , becoming the only team in the competition history to attain 100 points in a single season. In 2018–19 , they won four trophies , completing an unprecedented sweep of all domestic titles in England and becoming

2667-399: A new nationality , states: Any player who refers to art. 5 par. 1 to assume a new nationality and who has not played international football [in a match (either in full or in part) in an official competition of any category or any type of football] shall be eligible to play for the new representative team only if he fulfils one of the following conditions: a) He was born on the territory of

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2794-482: A new ruling came into effect that permitted a player to represent one country at youth international level and another at senior international level, provided that the player applied before their 21st birthday. The first player to do so was Antar Yahia , who played for the France under-18s before representing Algeria in qualifiers for the 2004 Olympic Games . More recent examples include Sone Aluko , who has caps for

2921-650: A new version which would be designed in the style of the older, circular variants. A design purporting to be the new badge was unintentionally leaked two days early prior to the official unveiling on 26 December 2015 by the IPO when the design was trademarked on 22 December. The new badge was officially unveiled at Manchester City's home match against Sunderland on 26 December. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. The following players have previously made appearances or have appeared on

3048-436: A player in the close season who subsequently wears that number in a competitive match, but who later leaves the club during that same season, will not be assigned to another player during the remainder of that season). Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. These are EDS players who have previously made competitive appearances for

3175-699: A player switching international football nationalities is José Altafini , who played for Brazil in the 1958 FIFA World Cup and for Italy in the subsequent 1962 FIFA World Cup . Other 20th-century examples of players representing two or three separate countries are: This does not include the hundreds of players whose teams were affected by changes to geopolitical borders e.g. East Germany / Germany , Soviet Union / Ukraine , Yugoslavia / Croatia . Furthermore, some international players have played for another FIFA-recognised country in unofficial international matches, i.e. fixtures not recognised by FIFA as full internationals. This category includes: In January 2004,

3302-463: A player to have a choice of representing several national teams. It is not uncommon for national team managers and scouts to attempt to persuade players to change their FIFA nationality; in June 2011, for example, Scotland manager Craig Levein confirmed that his colleagues had started a dialogue with United States under-17 international Jack McBean in an attempt to persuade him to represent Scotland in

3429-503: A rivalry between Jürgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola , the managers of Liverpool and Manchester City, with the two previously having been the respective managers of Der Klassiker rivals Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga . At the end of the 2018–19 season, Guardiola described his relationship with Klopp as a "beautiful rivalry" and called Klopp's Liverpool team "the strongest opponents I have faced in my career as

3556-538: A sixth-round FA Cup tie against Stoke City – a record which stood until 2016. The club won the First Division title for the first time in 1937, but were relegated the following season, despite scoring more goals than any other team in the division. Twenty years later, a City team inspired by a tactical system known as the Revie Plan reached consecutive FA Cup finals again, in 1955 and 1956 ; just as in

3683-441: A surprise victory at the same venue. Despite having most of the ball possession and creating 23 attempts at goal, City were made to rue wasteful chances while their opponent on the day converted their chances clinically. Manchester City's home colours are sky blue and white. Traditional away kit colours have been either maroon or (from the 1960s) red and black; however, in recent years several colours have been used. The origins of

3810-403: A team of Scots than win with a team of foreigners. This is not a club side we're talking about it's SCOTLAND...I know the players will definitely be against it". Ahead of a meeting with the other home associations, SFA executive David Taylor urged caution ahead of calls to opt out of the agreement. He said "We have to watch it does not become a free-for-all with the home countries trying to get

3937-407: A team two divisions lower. In the late 1980s, City fans started a craze of bringing inflatable objects to matches, primarily oversized bananas. One disputed explanation for the phenomenon is that in a match against West Bromwich Albion , chants from fans calling for the introduction of Imre Varadi as a substitute mutated into "Imre Banana". Terraces packed with inflatable-waving supporters became

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4064-704: Is able to represent another member association that shares the same common nationality after five years residency. There has been a series of additional agreements between national football associations of the United Kingdom ( The Football Association , the Scottish Football Association , the Football Association of Wales and the Irish Football Association ), the latest of which came in 2010 and

4191-653: Is the City of Manchester Stadium , currently known as the Etihad Stadium in east Manchester, to which they moved in 2003, having played at Maine Road since 1923. Manchester City adopted their sky blue home shirts in 1894, the first season with the current name. Over the course of its history, the club has won ten league titles , seven FA Cups , eight League Cups , seven FA Community Shields , one UEFA Champions League , one European Cup Winners' Cup , one UEFA Super Cup and one FIFA Club World Cup . The club joined

4318-675: The Scottish Football Hall of Fame (a.k.a. the Scottish Football Museum Hall of Fame ), and are listed according to the year of their induction within the various categories: Last updated: 30 March 2011. Source: list of SFM Hall of Fame inductees The following former Manchester City players have been inducted into the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame , and are listed according to the year of their induction: Source: Since moving to

4445-558: The 2018–19 season , City completed an unprecedented domestic treble of English men's titles. Apart from winning all three of the major English football tournaments, they also won the Community Shield , the first time any team has ever held all four of England's primary football trophies at the same time. On the continental stage, the club achieved breakthrough in 2020–21 , reaching their first-ever Champions League final . In an all-English affair, City lost 0–1 to Chelsea at

4572-522: The City Football Academy to cater for around 400 youth players at a time, the campus was opened on 8 December 2014, and has since become the base for all senior and youth Manchester City men's and women's teams. The squad numbers (if any) depicted for the academy players in this article are MCFC first-team squad numbers – which means that these are the shirt numbers that the academy players will wear if and when they are selected to play for

4699-647: The England under-19s and Nigeria , and Andrew Driver , a former England under-21 representative who is committed to the Scotland national team. In March 2004, FIFA amended its wider policy on international eligibility. This was reported to be in response to a growing trend in some countries, such as Qatar and Togo , to naturalise players born and raised elsewhere who have no apparent ancestral links to their new country of citizenship. An emergency FIFA committee ruling judged that players must be able to demonstrate

4826-704: The Estádio do Dragão in Porto . The 2022–23 season turned out to be the greatest in the club's history, as Manchester City won their third consecutive Premier League title, the FA Cup final against rivals Manchester United, and their maiden Champions League title at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul against Inter Milan , thereby assembling a rare feat – the continental treble . The road to

4953-790: The Europa League . In 2022, Manchester City proposed the release of the Connected Scarf , that would contain a sensor tracking physiological and emotional data of the wearer, for supporters in 2023. Manchester City's biggest rivalry is with neighbours Manchester United , against whom they contest the Manchester derby . Before the Second World War , when travel to away games was rare, many Mancunian football fans regularly watched both teams even if considering themselves "supporters" of only one. This practice continued into

5080-631: The FA Cup ; the Blues narrowly missed out on a League and Cup double that season after finishing runners-up in the league campaign , but they still became the first club in Manchester to win a major honour. In the seasons following the FA Cup triumph, the club was dogged by allegations of financial irregularities, culminating in the suspension of seventeen players in 1906, including captain Billy Meredith , who subsequently moved across town to Manchester United . A fire at Hyde Road destroyed

5207-460: The FA Cup final for the second straight year but lost in a rematch to rivals Manchester United. Manchester City's era of sustained competitive excellence coincided with charges of breaching Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations. In 2020, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled that sanctions placed on the club by UEFA were not justified, overturning City's two-year European ban. In 2023,

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5334-434: The FA Cup final in 2011, their first major final in over 30 years, after defeating derby rivals Manchester United in the semi-finals, the first time they had knocked their rival out of a cup competition since 1975. The Blues defeated Stoke City 1–0 in the final, securing their fifth FA Cup and the club's first major trophy since winning the 1976 League Cup. On the last day of the 2010–11 season , City beat out Arsenal for

5461-506: The Football League in 1892 , and won their first major honour, the FA Cup , in 1904 . Manchester City had its first major period of success in the late 1960s and early 1970s, winning the league title, FA Cup , League Cup , and European Cup Winners Cup under the management of Joe Mercer and Malcolm Allison . After losing the 1981 FA Cup final , Manchester City went through a period of decline, culminating in relegation to

5588-596: The League Cup and regained the Premier League title on the last matchday of the season. The team's league form then slowly declined over the next couple of years, as the Blues finished second in 2014–15 and then dropped to fourth in 2015–16 , although the 2015–16 season would see City win another League Cup title and reach the Champions League semi-finals for the first time. Pep Guardiola , former head coach of Barcelona and Bayern Munich ,

5715-625: The Premier League Hall of Fame . Inaugurated in 2020, but delayed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic , the Hall of Fame is intended to recognise and honour players that have achieved great success and made a significant contribution to the league since its founding in 1992 . Last updated: 22 April 2024. Source: list of PL Hall of Fame inductees The following former Manchester City players and managers have been inducted into

5842-899: The Regulations Governing the Application of the FIFA Statutes . Friendly match appearances do not commit a player to one country; Jermaine Jones played several friendlies for Germany but made his debut for the United States in 2010. Thiago Motta had three caps for Brazil in matches deemed friendlies for Brazil (participation in the CONCACAF Gold Cup as a non-conference guest team) and went on to represent Italy for five years. Diego Costa represented Brazil in two friendlies before switching his allegiances to Spain in 2013, going on to represent

5969-495: The UEFA European Championship ). However, appearing in a tournament qualifier would not prohibit a change of eligibility. Furthermore, players who played for their home country but not at senior level, who were under 21 at the time and have since lived in a new country for five years or more can apply for the right to represent their new place of residence. This also applies to players that began living on

6096-714: The Under 21 Premier League since the 2012–13 season and previously played in the Premier Reserve League North . Starting with the 2011–12 season, the EDS competed in the NextGen Series competition, a Champions League format tournament only open to a select group of 'Under-19' teams located in western Europe. The NextGen Series organisers invited the 16 teams competing in the inaugural season of this new competition based on which clubs were considered to have

6223-604: The 'Under-17' age group of players. In recent seasons, Manchester City has purchased, registered and loaned young international players as part of their development strategy for the City Football Group . Although these players are officially Manchester City players, they have never made competitive appearances for City's senior or youth teams and may in future be transferred out before doing so. In 2022, FIFA have implemented new rules which will now restrict loans of this nature. The EDS play all of their home fixtures at

6350-573: The (English) Football Association (FA) had advised the player's agent that the international change of allegiance could go ahead. However, the SFA discovered that as he had an English mother, he was not able to represent any Home nation other than England as a result. The SFA had chosen to abide by the agreement; unlike the Irish Football Association (IFA), who in addition to courting David Johnson had capped Germany-born Maik Taylor

6477-531: The 1930s, they lost the first one, to Newcastle United , and won the second. The 1956 final, in which the Blues defeated Birmingham City 3–1, saw City goalkeeper Bert Trautmann continuing to play on after unknowingly breaking his neck. After being relegated to the Second Division in 1963 , the future looked bleak with a record low home attendance of 8,015 against Swindon Town in January 1965. In

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6604-451: The 1980s alone. Under John Bond , City reached the 1981 FA Cup final but lost in a replay to Tottenham Hotspur . The club were twice relegated from the top flight in the 1980s (in 1983 and 1987 ), but returned to the top flight again in 1989 under Mel Machin . Howard Kendall guided the club to top flight safety in 1990 and the club finished fifth in 1991 and 1992 under the management of active player Peter Reid . However, this

6731-569: The Champions League victory included wins over European giants Bayern Munich, who were defeated 4–1 on aggregate, and Real Madrid, who suffered a 1–5 aggregate loss at the hands of City. The following season saw considerably less success for the Blues, as they won the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup for the first time and became the first English men's club to win four consecutive league titles. City also advanced to

6858-465: The City of Manchester Stadium, the club's average attendances have been in the top six in England, usually in excess of 40,000. Even in the late 1990s, when City were relegated twice in three seasons and playing in the third tier of English football (then the Second Division , now the EFL League One ), home attendances were in the region of 30,000, compared to an average of fewer than 8,000 for

6985-488: The England B team and had been an unused substitute for the England under-21s. In late September 1999, the Ipswich Town forward was called up by Wales (and withdrew from the squad due to injury) and later Scotland. The Welsh and Scottish FAs believed he was eligible to play for them. Johnson was a Jamaican immigrant who was raised by foster parents in England, and he believed he could choose which UK nation to represent;

7112-502: The FA Premier Youth League. Since gaining FA approval in 1998 the academy has produced 84 players for Manchester City's first team, 38 of whom have gained full international honours, including England internationals Shaun Wright-Phillips , Micah Richards , Joey Barton , Daniel Sturridge , Phil Foden , Cole Palmer and Rico Lewis .The academy not only produces players for Manchester City but also players that have

7239-544: The First Division and four different permanent managers, Lee resigned from his role as chairman midway through the 1998 season, although remained as a shareholder, as City fell to the lowest point in their history, becoming the second ever European trophy winners to be relegated to their country's third-tier league after 1. FC Magdeburg of Germany. After relegation, the club underwent off-the-field upheaval, with new chairman David Bernstein introducing greater fiscal discipline. Under manager Joe Royle , City were promoted at

7366-590: The Football Association in 1997, with the introduction of the Academy system. Current International Youth Academy Director Jim Cassell joined from Oldham Athletic in July 1997 and was responsible for building Manchester City's youth structure, which gained Academy accreditation in 1998. In its new incarnation, the 'A' and 'B' teams were replaced with 'Under-19' and 'Under-17' teams, which competed in

7493-552: The Joie Stadium. The squad numbers depicted for the EDS players in this article are the MCFC first team squad numbers – which means that these are the shirt numbers that the EDS players will wear if and when team-sheeted to play for the MCFC first team in either a friendly or competitive game. The current MCFC official first team squad consists of only about 20 players, however, the EDS players' squad numbers traditionally start in

7620-408: The Lancashire Combination in 1901–02. The club left the Lancashire Combination in 1911 to join the Central League upon its formation. The City reserve team then played in the Central League until 2000, winning it on three occasions in the 1977–78, 1986–87 and 1999–2000 seasons. In 2006, the club re-entered the Central League – now the Pontin's League (West) – but this time in order to provide games for

7747-594: The MCFC first team in either a friendly or competitive game. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Manchester City F.C. Manchester City Football Club (or simply Man City F.C. ) is a professional football club based in Manchester , England, that competes in the Premier League , the top flight of English football . Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's (West Gorton) , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894. The club's home ground

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7874-415: The Manchester City Academy, EDS or First Team, or have been brought with the explicit intention to join the first team in future. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. These are Manchester City players who are usually on loan as part of the CFG development strategy, are yet to make a competitive appearance for

8001-422: The Manchester coat of arms was included as a small monochrome logo in the numbers on the back of players' shirts. A new club badge was adopted in 1997, as a result of the previous badge being ineligible for registration as a trademark. This badge was based on the arms of the city of Manchester , and consisted of a shield in front of a golden eagle . The eagle is an old heraldic symbol of the city of Manchester;

8128-450: The NextGen series, as a U-19 competition for the youth teams of Champions League participants and national champions at U-18 level. Teams fielded by City in this competition were therefore a hybrid of their EDS and academy squads. Their best performance to date has been a semi-final appearance in 2017–18. Manchester City has fielded a reserve team since 1892 when the reserves played in the Lancashire Combination. The reserves were champions of

8255-411: The Premier League announced its own investigation of the allegations levied against Manchester City, charging the club with 115 breaches of its FFP rules up to the 2017–18 season. On 24 November 2024 in the 2024-25 season , City lost 0-4 to Tottenham Hotspur that marked the end of their 52-game unbeaten streak at home. It was the Citizen's first home defeat since November 2022 when Brentford claimed

8382-420: The United Kingdom, are represented by constituent associations (England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland), while other associations represent regions not typically recognized as independent countries, such as dependent territories (e.g., Gibraltar ), autonomous states or territories (e.g., the Faroe Islands , Kosovo ), and enclaves, principalities, or microstates (e.g., San Marino ). Not all countries have

8509-457: The agreement was adjusted and published by FIFA in December 2006: 3. British associations 134 England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. 135 e.g. a player who was born on the Cayman Islands and holds British nationality In October 2008, Spanish striker Nacho Novo said that he would apply for a British passport if it meant he'd become eligible to play for Scotland . The SFA stated that he would not be eligible as they would abide by

8636-410: The agreement. The agreement was completely revised in 2009 following a rewrite of the FIFA statutes in 2008. The loophole regarding British players born abroad and selecting a national team had been closed and then reopened. The revised ruling also removed the possibility of ineligibility due to a foreign-born adopted player having no parental or grand-parental links to a nation, as it is based on where

8763-484: The best academies in Europe. At the time, the EDS continued to play fixtures in both the Manchester Senior Cup and Lancashire Senior Cup plus several other matches and tournaments such as the Central League Cup . In 2016-17 the U-21 Premier League was renamed as Premier League 2 and the age limit was raised to U-23. City won their first title at this level in the 2020–21 season and retained their title in 2021–22. The UEFA Youth League launched in 2013–14, replacing

8890-482: The best players available," "It goes to the heart of why we exist as a separate country and could force people into asking why we do not have a UK football team." On 1 March 2004, the four British associations voted to retain the agreement. In January 2006, Northern Ireland manager Lawrie Sanchez had his hopes of bringing in players born outside Northern Ireland – but who held a British passport – dashed. Irish FA chiefs told Sanchez he could only select players who have

9017-432: The chance to play for his birth nation by his club manager at Aston Villa due to the travelling distances and low standards of opposition, and successfully obtained citizenship in 1986 in order to play for England – but had no relevant British ancestry and could have represented any of the home nations. Players in the same situation today would only be allowed to represent the territory of their (grand)parent's birthplace as

9144-495: The change in ownership but was originally retained by the new board – was replaced as manager by Roberto Mancini . City finished the season in fifth position in the Premier League , narrowly missing out on a place in the Champions League but qualifying for the UEFA Europa League . Continued investment in players followed in successive seasons, and results began to match the upturn in player quality. City reached

9271-576: The clause has been amended to refer to the Football Association's "territory" and not "country". The four associations met on 27 February 1993 at Hanbury Manor in Hertfordshire. The Scottish Football Association (SFA) released minutes from the meeting to the press. On the occasion of the meeting of the International Football Association Board on 27 February 1993 the four British associations ratified

9398-470: The close 2003–04 season , the club moved to the new City of Manchester Stadium . The first four seasons at the stadium all resulted in mid-table finishes. Former England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson became the club's first foreign manager when appointed in 2007 . After a bright start, performances faded in the second half of the season, and Eriksson was sacked on 2 June 2008; he was replaced by Mark Hughes two days later. By 2008, Manchester City were in

9525-401: The club being the only reigning English champions ever to be relegated (in 1938 ), the only team to score and concede over 100 goals in the same season ( 1957–58 ), or the more recent example where Manchester City were the only team to beat Chelsea in the latter's record-breaking 2004–05 Premier League season , yet in the same season City were knocked out of the FA Cup by Oldham Athletic ,

9652-591: The club looked to expand their successful academy further afield and City in the Community programme in Manchester . In 2010, the Platt Lane complex was upgraded to include new facilities, such as a gym, changing rooms, as well as office and seminar space The club also launched an instructional video website aimed at helping the new skills of prospective footballers City announced on 19 September 2011 that they would build an 80-acre training facility, known since as

9779-437: The club won the 2001–02 First Division championship , breaking club records for the number of points gained and goals scored in a single season in the process. The 2002–03 season was the last at Maine Road and included a 3–1 derby victory over rivals Manchester United, ending a 13-year run without a derby win. Additionally, City qualified for European competition for the first time in 25 years via UEFA fair play ranking . In

9906-541: The club's Academy, EDS or First Team, or are over the age of 23. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Manchester City's Academy is responsible for youth development at the club, with the goal of developing young players for the future. The academy is one of the most revered in the country and since its new incarnation in 1998, it has produced more professional players than any other Premier League club. The club's first youth team

10033-551: The club's home colours are unclear, but there is evidence that the club has worn blue since 1892 or earlier. A booklet entitled Famous Football Clubs – Manchester City published in the 1940s indicates that West Gorton (St. Marks) originally played in scarlet and black, and reports dating from 1884 describe the team wearing black jerseys bearing a white cross, showing the club's origins as a church side. The infrequent yet recurrent use of red and black away colours comes from former assistant manager Malcolm Allison 's belief that adopting

10160-421: The colours of AC Milan would inspire City to glory. Allison's theory seemingly took effect, with City winning the 1969 FA Cup final , 1970 League Cup final , and 1970 Cup Winners' Cup final in red and black stripes as opposed to the club's home kit of sky blue. City had previously worn three other badges on their shirts, prior to their current badge being implemented in 2016. The first, introduced in 1970,

10287-559: The division. Research carried out by Manchester City in 2005 estimated a fanbase of 886,000 in the United Kingdom and a total in excess of 2 million worldwide, although since the purchase of the club by Sheikh Mansour, and City's recent achievements, that figure has since ballooned to many times that size. Manchester City's officially recognised supporters club is the Manchester City F.C. Supporters Club (1949), formed by

10414-422: The eagle and shield were the three stars, added for decorative purposes. On 15 October 2015, following years of criticism from the fans over the design of the 1997 badge, the club announced they intended to carry out a fan consultation on whether to discontinue the current badge and institute a new design. After the consultation, the club announced in late November 2015 the badge would be replaced in due course by

10541-523: The early 1960s but as travel became easier, and the cost of entry to matches rose, watching both teams became unusual and the rivalry intensified. A common stereotype is that City fans come from Manchester proper, while United fans come from elsewhere. A 2002 report by a researcher at Manchester Metropolitan University found that while it was true that a higher proportion of City season ticket holders came from Manchester postcode areas (40% compared to United's 29%), there were more United season ticket holders,

10668-499: The final day of the season with a 4–3 victory at Newcastle United. Further trophies followed: City won the FA Cup in 1969 and a year later triumphed in the European Cup Winners' Cup , defeating Górnik Zabrze 2–1 in the 1970 final . This was the club's only European honour until their triumph in the 2022–23 UEFA Champions League . The Blues also won the League Cup that year, becoming the second English team to win

10795-399: The first English men's team to win the domestic treble . This was followed by four consecutive Premier League titles in 2020–21 , 2021–22 , 2022–23 and 2023–24 , as well as the club's first Champions League final in 2021 , which they lost to Chelsea . The 2022–23 season saw Manchester City win their maiden European Cup and complete the continental treble in the process, becoming

10922-464: The first attempt, achieved in dramatic fashion in the Second Division play-off final against Gillingham . A second successive promotion saw City return to the top division, but this proved to have been a step too far for the recovering club, and in 2001 City were relegated once more. Kevin Keegan replaced Royle as manager in the close season, and achieved an immediate return to the top division as

11049-425: The first team to win the Premier League on goal difference alone. The following season , City were unable to replicate the previous year's success. After finishing second in the league , eleven points behind Manchester United, and losing the FA Cup final 0–1 to relegated Wigan Athletic , Mancini was sacked. He was replaced by Chilean manager Manuel Pellegrini . In Pellegrini's first year in charge, City won

11176-473: The following agreement, which came into force on 1 February 1993, on the criteria which should determine the eligibility of the player to be selected for one of the national teams of the British associations: David Johnson was a Jamaican international who had played four games for the Caribbean nation; his most recent game was a friendly against United States on 9 September 1999. He had previously played for

11303-454: The four home associations it is not enough any more." The agreement is often erroneously thought to be a response to cases similar to Maik Taylor , who was born in Germany to an English father and chose to represent Northern Ireland at international level despite having no ties to the nation. Taylor was called up to Northern Ireland in 1998, five years after the 1993 (gentlemen's) agreement

11430-474: The future. Gareth Bale was asked about a possibility to play for England , being of English descent through his grandmother, but ultimately opted to represent Wales , his country of birth. In June 2009, FIFA Congress passed a motion that removed the age limit for players who had already played for a country's national team at youth level to change national associations. This ruling features in Article 18 of

11557-758: The governing body for rugby union , specifies that if a player has been legally adopted under the laws of the relevant country, descent is traced through the adoptive parent(s). This replacement also applies in cases where the player was not adopted, but one or both biological parents were themselves adopted. In September 2020, the 70th edition of the FIFA Congress approved a rule change that now allows players to switch 3 years later if they have played no more than three competitive matches at senior level prior to them turning 21 including no appearances in FIFA World Cup finals matches or continental finals (e.g.

11684-544: The invaders from Brazil towards Europe, Asia and Africa then, in the 2014 or the 2018 World Cup, out of the 32 teams you will have 16 full of Brazilian players." The residency requirement for players lacking birth or ancestral connections with a specific country was extended from two to five years in May 2008 at FIFA's Congress as part of Blatter's efforts to preserve the integrity of competitions involving national teams. The relevant current FIFA statute, Article 7: Acquisition of

11811-494: The latter at the 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cups . Apostolos Giannou represented Greece in a friendly in 2015, before switching his allegiances to Australia , making his debut for the latter in March 2016. A FIFA Player's Status Committee is responsible for making such judgements. Under FIFA rules, eligibility by descent is strictly limited to biological descent; adoption is not considered at all. By contrast, World Rugby ,

11938-447: The lower percentage being due to United's higher overall number of season ticket holders (27,667 compared to City's 16,481). The report noted that since the compiling of data in 2001, the number of both City and United season ticket holders had risen; expansion of United's ground and City's move to the City of Manchester Stadium have caused season ticket sales to increase further. Over the last few years, Manchester City has also developed

12065-544: The main stand in 1920, and in 1923 the club moved to their new purpose-built stadium at Maine Road in Moss Side . In the 1930s, Manchester City reached two consecutive FA Cup finals, losing to Everton in 1933 , before claiming the Cup by beating Portsmouth in 1934 . During the 1934 run, the club broke the record for the highest home attendance of any club in English football history, as 84,569 fans packed Maine Road for

12192-598: The members of the Manchester City Official Supporters Club have voted by ballot to choose the player on the team they feel is the most worthy of recognition for his performances during that season. The following table lists the recipients of this award since 2000. Sources: The following former Manchester City players and managers have been inducted into the Manchester City F.C. Hall of Fame , and are listed according to

12319-533: The men's football tournament at the 2015 Pacific Games , which also determines the 2016 Oceania Olympic Football qualifier, Deklan Wynne , who was born in South Africa and raised in New Zealand from early childhood, played in the semi-final for New Zealand, who won the match 3–0. After the game, a protest was lodged by their opponents Vanuatu , on the basis that Wynne was not an eligible player. As Wynne

12446-489: The option to switch allegiance to another nation. Fielding ineligible players can lead to sanctions, including the overturning of match results. Historically, it was possible for players to play for different national teams. For example, Alfredo Di Stéfano played for Argentina (1947) and Spain (1957–61). Di Stefano's Real Madrid teammate Ferenc Puskás also played for Spain after amassing 85 caps for Hungary earlier in his career. A third high-profile instance of

12573-455: The player is educated before the age of 18. The home nations have agreed to remove a clause that enables players to gain eligibility for one of the eight national teams due to residency. The FIFA statutes state that "Associations sharing a common nationality may make an agreement under which item (d) of par. 1 of this article is deleted completely or amended to specify a longer time limit". The clause removed is: (d) He has lived continuously on

12700-608: The previous year. Taylor was in the same situation as Johnson: he was born outside of the UK with one English parent. The Herald reported that "It is important to highlight, that under the agreement signed by the four British associations, the UK passport clause is only operative in the event that the player, his natural mother and father and his natural grandparents, are all born outside the United Kingdom". A Football Association of Wales (FAW) spokesman Cerri Stennett said that they were "extremely puzzled by this development" and they thought "he

12827-466: The region of the middle forties. For the Premier League 2 , players use the 1–11 numbering system whilst squad numbers (including player names) are used for the EFL Trophy . The MCFC first team squad numbers are normally assigned and published in late July during the close season and they remain constant for the entire duration of the upcoming season (meaning that a squad number that is assigned to

12954-400: The relevant association; b) His biological mother or biological father was born on the territory of the relevant association; c) His grandmother or grandfather was born on the territory of the relevant association; d) He has lived continuously for at least five years after reaching the age of 18 on the territory of the relevant association. Under the criteria generally, it is possible for

13081-617: The second English club to do so. The club is ranked first in the UEFA coefficient standings as of 2023. Manchester City topped the Deloitte Football Money League at the end of the 2021–22 season, making it the football club with the highest revenue in the world, approximated at € 731 million. In 2022, Forbes estimated the club was the sixth-most valuable in the world, worth $ 4.250 billion. Manchester City are owned by City Football Group Limited ,

13208-420: The space of four games, while City began a run of successive wins which saw both teams level on points with two games to go. Despite the Blues only needing a home win against Queens Park Rangers , a team in the relegation zone, they fell 1–2 behind by the end of normal time. However, two goals in injury time – the second by Sergio Agüero in the fourth added minute – settled the title in City's favour, making them

13335-435: The substitutes bench for the first team. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Since 2003, Manchester City have not issued the squad number 23. It was retired in memory of Marc-Vivien Foé , who

13462-513: The summer of 1965, the management team of Joe Mercer and Malcolm Allison was appointed. In the first season under Mercer, Manchester City won the Second Division title and made important signings in Mike Summerbee and Colin Bell . Two seasons later, in 1967–68 , City claimed the league championship for the second time, beating their close neighbours Manchester United to the title on

13589-482: The talent to make the grade elsewhere, with players such as Ben Mee who's had a successful career at Burnley and Brentford , Jadon Sancho at Borussia Dortmund and Manchester United , Kelechi Iheanacho at Leicester and Kieran Trippier formerly at Burnley, Spurs , Atlético Madrid and now at Newcastle United . Since the club was taken over in September 2008 , with extra capital and increased ambitions

13716-409: The team on the pitch when the club captain is not playing or not available. Some players have been made captain on a one-off basis to celebrate or commemorate an event, e.g. Oleksandr Zinchenko captained the team in their 2021–22 FA Cup fifth round tie at Peterborough United in support of his country during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine . Each season since the end of the 1966–67 season ,

13843-598: The territory before the age of 10 for at least three years. FIFA also facilitates a reversal of a change request in certain specific circumstances. FIFA takes punitive action against teams that field ineligible players. In August 2011, FIFA expelled Syria from the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification process following the appearance of George Mourad in a senior qualification match against Tajikistan . Mourad had made friendly match appearances for Sweden earlier in his career, but had not requested permission from FIFA to change national associations before playing for Syria. At

13970-443: The territory of the relevant Association for at least two years If the home nations' associations had chosen not to remove or alter the 'd' clause and instead use the default FIFA statute clauses, players with a home nation nationality would be able to transfer to a club in another home nation and be eligible for that national team after a period of two years (providing they have not been capped or played in an official competition for

14097-522: The third place, thereby securing qualification directly into the Champions League group stage. Strong performances continued to follow in the 2011–12 season , including a 5–1 victory over Tottenham at White Hart Lane and a record-equalling 6–1 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford , but a poor run of form in the second half of the season left City in second place, eight points behind United with only six games left to play. At this point, United suffered their own loss of form, dropping eight points in

14224-499: The third tier of English football for the only time in their history in 1998 . They since regained promotion to the top tier in 2001–02 and have remained a fixture in the Premier League since 2002–03 . Manchester City received considerable financial investment both in playing staff and facilities following its takeover by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan through the Abu Dhabi United Group in August 2008. This started

14351-411: The title, recording 99 points (the second-highest Premier League total ever after Manchester City's 100 in 2017–18 ) to finish 18 points above runners-up City. The Blues then regained the title in 2020–21 and outgunned Liverpool in another closely-fought title race in 2021–22 , to finish with 93 points to Liverpool's 92. The success of the two teams in the 2010s and 2020s has led to the development of

14478-445: The way. This would prove to be the start of a period of unprecedented success for Manchester City under Guardiola. Between the 2017–18 and 2023–24 Premier League seasons, City won six out of possible seven league titles, only finishing second behind Liverpool in the 2019–20 season . Guardiola also guided the Blues to silverware in domestic cup competitions, highlighted by four consecutive League Cup triumphs in 2018– 2021 . During

14605-598: The year of their induction: The following former Manchester City players and managers have been inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame (a.k.a. the National Football Museum Hall of Fame ), and are listed according to the year of their induction within the various categories: Last updated: 21 July 2021. Source: list of NFM Hall of Fame inductees The following former Manchester City players have been inducted into

14732-556: Was 20 years old, it was impossible for him to have already lived in New Zealand for five years after the age of 18. This protest was upheld by the Oceania Football Confederation , resulting in New Zealand being disqualified and Vanuatu taking their place in the final. During the 2018 World Cup qualifiers Bolivia fielded Paraguayan ‑born Nelson David Cabrera (who had also played for Paraguay) in two matches—against Peru on 1 September 2016 (the match

14859-669: Was a lot of media speculation in Scotland about the possibility of Frenchman Didier Agathe and Italian Lorenzo Amoruso playing for Scotland. Berti Vogts , the German head coach of Scotland, appeared to be in favour of fielding the players. Scotland's playing captain Christian Dailly felt differently, telling the Daily Record newspaper that "I don't care if they call in Zinedine Zidane . I would rather lose with

14986-415: Was based on designs which had been used on official club documentation since the mid-1960s. It consisted of a circular badge which used the same shield as the present badge (including a ship, based on the City of Manchester coat of arms ), inside a circle bearing the name of the club. In 1972, this was replaced by a variation which replaced the lower half of the shield with the red rose of Lancashire. In 1976,

15113-494: Was confirmed to become Manchester City's new manager on 1 February 2016, with the announcement having been made several months before Manuel Pellegrini left his position. Guardiola's first season in Manchester would end trophyless, with the Blues placing third in the league standings, but the following season proved far more successful, as City won the Premier League title with the highest points total in history and broke numerous other club and English league records along

15240-404: Was eligible to play for any of the four home countries and that's why Lawrie McMenemy wanted him for Northern Ireland as well." Stennett stated that FIFA gave clearance to Johnson switch allegiance to Wales' national squad and "he was on the substitute's bench for a match." Under Lawrie McMenemy 's stewardship, Northern Ireland went through a phase of trying to call up players who had no links to

15367-509: Was in place. The agreement was not applied when Taylor was called up by the IFA, possibly because in his case, neither the FA, SFA nor FAW was interested in capping him, unlike e.g. David Johnson (below) and so raised no objection. Taylor was eligible to play for Northern Ireland due to FIFA regulations allowing him to. The relevant statute of the time read: "Any player who is a naturalised citizen of

15494-582: Was not a huge improvement in performance compared to the previous season despite the influx of money however, with the team finishing tenth , although they did well to reach the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup . During the summer of 2009, the club took transfer spending to an unprecedented level, with an outlay of over £100 million on players Gareth Barry , Roque Santa Cruz , Kolo Touré , Emmanuel Adebayor , Carlos Tevez , and Joleon Lescott . In December 2009, Mark Hughes – who had been hired shortly before

15621-442: Was on loan to the club from Lyon at the time of his death on the field of play while playing for Cameroon in the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup . Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. This is a list of City's official club captains , who are currently appointed via a vote of players and staff. Other players ( vice-captains ) have led

15748-585: Was only a temporary respite, and following Reid's departure Manchester City's fortunes continued to fade. City were co-founders of the Premier League upon its creation in 1992 , but after finishing ninth in its first season, Peter Swales , club chairman since 1973, was replaced by club legend Francis Lee in February 1994 in a movement supported by fans. Despite this, they endured three years of struggle under Brian Horton and Alan Ball Jr. before being relegated in dramatic fashion in 1996 . After two seasons in

15875-429: Was ratified by FIFA . In 1990, Nigel Spackman wanted to be called up by Scotland during his time at Rangers F.C. through his Scottish grandfather. However at the time, the four British Associations did not choose to accept players without parents pertaining to the nation. The Herald reported that "until recently that would have been enough to give him qualification to play for Scotland. But under an agreement by

16002-596: Was set up by Albert Alexander in the 1920s, known as the 'A' Team. From 1951 the 'A' team competed in the Lancashire League against reserve and youth teams of other clubs from North West England. From 1955 a second youth team, the 'B' team, typically comprising younger players than the 'A' team, competed in Division Two of the Lancashire League. Youth football in England was restructured by

16129-464: Was won 2–0 by Bolivia) and against Chile on 6 September 2016 (the match finished in a scoreless draw). Cabrera was subsequently found to be ineligible by FIFA, which resulted in the awarding of 3–0 wins for Bolivia's opponents, affecting the final standings in the table and contributing to Peru's qualification for the World Cup at the expense of Chile. There are 25 FIFA member associations that share

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