FIFA chief jets into Manchester for City’s Etihad Stadium clash with Chelsea | OneFootball

Manchester City against Chelsea will be watched from the stands of the Etihad Stadium by one of football’s most-prominent figures, it has been revealed.

The Premier League champions’ CEO Ferran Soriano is believed to have been working closely with FIFA to sell the Club World Cup to broadcasters, whilst also holding talks with football’s leading governing body over how Manchester City can help promote the tournament.

Manchester City are understood to be keen supporters of the revamped competition which will launch in the summer, with broadcasting rights handed to streaming giants DAZN, in a deal that will see all matches made available live across the globe for free.

For Pep Guardiola and his players, the group stage draw has already confirmed that Manchester City will take on Italian giants Juventus, Wydad AC of Morocco, and Al-Ahly of the United Arab Emirates.

And in the build-up to the competition launching in the coming months, one of the game’s leading officials has jetted into the north-west of England to monitor proceedings at the Etihad Stadium this weekend.

That is according to Sky Sports’ Kaveh Solhekol, who reveals that FIFA President Gianni Infantino will be present at Manchester City against Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday evening.

It is pointed out that both of the two teams on show in the Premier League will also be competing in this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, with the newly-constructed trophy in Manchester on Saturday.

Speaking during a recent interview in light of the FIFA Club World Cup’s group stage draw, City Football Group’s chief operating officer, Roel de Vries said, “It’s an honour, amazing to be part of 32 clubs that can play for this to try become best in the world.

“We always try to play the best football for our fans and players so this is a great honour.”

The Etihad Stadium boss continued, “We are so pleased to be in the US. We were in the US on tour last year and it was a tremendous success.

“If you look at the growth of soccer in the US and the growth of Manchester City’s fanbase here, we’re really excited to play here again. We also hope to see many of our fans from the rest of the world to come here and support us.”