The royal family of Abu Dhabi, which is close to completing a £200 million takeover of City, have produced a an 83-page document called A New Model for Partnership in Football that reveals plans to undertake significant rebranding and tap into markets as diverse as financial services, fashion, retail, transport, communications and the food industry. The document states that the club should aim “to be the Virgin of Asia and the world”.
Proposals put forward include deals with Indian car manufacturer Tata for `Citycars` and China Mobile for City branded phone cards, a range of new energy drinks by Red Bull called `City Powered, City Energy and City 24/7`, food outlets under the name `City Eating` and a range of credit cards dubbed `Citycard`.
The Times reports that it is unclear whether any of the companies listed have yet to be approached by the ruling Al-Nahyan family of Abu Dhabi and Dr Sulaiman al-Fahim, the prominent Middle East businessman fronting the takeover, but they are understood to be seriously considering the proposals.
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