Former player and columnist Philipp Lahm reflects on Manchester City’s on-pitch achievements under manager Pep Guardiola, noting that the team has been a joy to watch despite the club becoming detached from its roots through financial rule-breaking.
Greatness on the Pitch and Guardiola’s Mastery
Writing in a column produced in partnership with Oliver Fritsch at Die Zeit, Philipp Lahm questions whether observers must reassess Manchester City following years of engaging with the club and its key figures. Lahm states that the team’s greatness remains beyond question, describing them as a true unit and a finely tuned orchestra. He notes that Pep Guardiola masters his craft like few others, making his teams instantly recognizable through their passing, player distances, and intelligent interplay, which inspires others to become managers like Vincent Kompany, Mikel Arteta, Enzo Maresca, and potentially Ilkay Gündogan and Rodri.
Lahm explains that as a player and columnist, he never had an issue with Manchester City because the club avoided buying the most obvious superstars for many years, aligning with Guardiola’s view that elite talents do not traditionally move to a club that is not even the biggest football brand in its own city. Instead, players such as Kevin De Bruyne, Rodri, Gündogan, and Gianluigi Donnarumma became world stars in Manchester after being overlooked or unwanted elsewhere. City operated differently from Paris Saint-Germain’s former era, targeting players from clubs like Hamburg, Frankfurt, and Wolfsburg before signing Erling Haaland in 2022.
Financial Rule-Breaking and the Bundesliga Model
From the outside, Lahm observes that City fundamentally did not act much differently from other top European clubs, but questions the value of on-pitch achievements when accompanied by rule-breaking. The club has been found guilty of breaching Premier League financial regulations between 2009 and 2018, allegedly investing almost €1bn more than allowed and declared, and now faces potential forced relegation or having titles stripped while continuing to deny wrongdoing and appealing the decision.
Lahm states that it is right for the Premier League to crack down on unfair competition and expresses appreciation that Germany maintains the 50+1 rule, which was recently upheld by the federal cartel office and ensures majority voting rights remain with the parent club’s non-profit section. This rule serves as the bedrock of German football culture, balancing investment with participation and strengthening the rights of members and fans to help drive the highest average attendance in the world.
Preserving Football’s Roots and Social Cohesion
Reflecting on the ultimate purpose of football as a business whose infrastructure is developed by the general public, Lahm argues that stadiums and clubs must remain places where people gather and society debates its issues. Football must not be detached from its roots, as happened with Manchester City, which becomes preventable when rules are enforced by an institution ideally operating as a non-profit entity such as UEFA rather than a commercial one.
Lahm observes a broader shift in business and politics recognizing the necessity of investing in non-profit institutions to foster genuine exchange and social cohesion during politically turbulent times when political parties, churches, and media have lost credibility. Consequently, he views the 50+1 regulation as a distinct competitive advantage for the Bundesliga.
Lahm also welcomes regulatory enforcement in another context, noting that UEFA is standing firm against Gianni Infantino’s reported efforts to privatize the World Cup and its profits alongside Donald Trump. When questionable behaviors in Manchester and at FIFA face punishment, football can prevent further distancing from its grassroots to effectively drive civil society engagement and strengthen Europe.
Source: Football | The Guardian
