By Mike Keegan
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Manchester City can boast that they are champions of the world for another season.
Mail Sport understands that the Pep Guardiola’s club approached the Premier League to ask if they could continue to wear the gold badges on their shirts that honour of their 2023 Club World Cup victory. And league bosses have given them the green light to do so for the duration of the forthcoming campaign.
There is no tournament this summer thanks both to the significant increase in clubs involved and the fact that organisers want to use next year’s version, which will be held in the United States, as a test run for the 2026 World Cup.
And in a development that may raise some eyebrows Premier League chiefs, currently locked in a legal battle with City over financial rules, have given approval to wear the patches for another year.
FIFA approved controversial plans to up the number of clubs involved in the Club World Cup from seven to 32 from next year. That move has been met with significant criticism, with players union FIFPro claiming they were not consulted and legal action launched by the PFAs of England and France.
Manchester City will be allowed to keep wearing golden badges on their shirt, the Premier League have decided
Pep Guardiola’s side earned the addition to their kit after winning the Club World Cup
FIFA also confirmed the competition would be held once every four years instead of annually. City, Chelsea and Real Madrid are already selected to participate from Europe as winners of the Champions League from 2021 to 2024.
Meanwhile, another two former City employees have been snapped up by Premier League rivals.
Last month, Mail Sport revealed how swathes of clubs were raiding City for staff in a move chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said was clear evidence they are doing things ‘the right way’.
And in the past week there have been two more instances of what officials are wryly describing as the ‘Cityfication’ of the Premier League.
Liverpool added former City analyst and coach Aaron Briggs to Arne Slot’s backroom staff. The 37-year-old, who spent nine years at the Etihad, will be the link between the academy and first team at Anfield in his role as elite development coach.
Elsewhere, Chelsea are set to appoint Glenn van der Kraan from City as a major figure in their academy set up following the departures of Neil Bath and Jim Fraser.
Van der Kraan has been at City for four years after joining from Feyenoord as head of coaching.
Published by Associated Newspapers Ltd
Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group
