Manchester City has become one of the dominant troops of European football for the past 15 years.
The Etihad Stadium has provided the background for the city, because they have won six of the last seven Premier League titles, created themselves in history as European champions and created an inheritance in the English game thanks to their triumph.
But it has not always been a full stadium that is suitable for four-in-one-row champions.
In fact, City has invested millions in redeveloping their land after they left Maine Road in 2003.
The city group has strived to give the club a house so that she let the role look and corresponded to their ambition on the field.
And the billionaire Bigwigs who are in charge will not intend to stop soon, with Man City in the midst of sensational redevelopment plans that make Etihad one of the best stadiums in the country.
History
Man City would probably be considered a 'superclub' nowadays, but that has not always been the case.
Founded in 1880, the first permanent house of Man City was a place called Hyde Road.
The Ground of Manchester played the host of City from 1887 to 1923 and had a modest start that meant that players had to turn into a local pub before the first nine years started in the ground.
For most football fans who can remember a pre-takeover Man City, Maine Road is considered the “real house” of the city.
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Maine Road organized the home games of Man City for 80 years and saw the club through nine relegations, nine promotions and six competition titles.
City even shared the iconic land with fierce Rivals Manchester United for a few years after Old Trafford had suffered damage due to bombing during the war.
But their memories of Maine Road ended in 2003, when the decision to close the stadium of 35,150 seats was taken.
Now the stadium has been demolished and a residential area with more than 400 property is instead.
The Etihad story
The Etihad Stadium is nowadays synonymous with Manchester City, but before the Premier League came into the ground heavy weights, it was the home of a completely different sport.
Built for a first £ 112 million, the stadium started life as an athletics arena for the 2002 Commonwealth games.
Unusually, the soil was tailor -made to be changed almost immediately.
After the closure of the 10-day event, the work began to convert the 38,000 seats Athletics Stadium with one row into a two-tone 48,000 chair football stadium for the city to call home.
The career was removed and the ground was lowered to make room for a football field and some seats in an almost year of renovation project.
A few things were very different when City moved into the ground for the first time in 2003.
Firstly, they had not yet sold the naming rights on their new site – which means that it was still called the city of Manchester Stadium.
While they were also a relegation side and 16th ended in their first season in the new ground.
They were also not owned by Sheikh Mansour and the City Football Group, which did not become the owner of the club until 2008.
The new inscrutable rich owners had big plans for the stadium when they arrived, and they didn't last long to take those plans into action.
Which upgrades have been made so far?
Unbelievable, the Etihad is still owned by the Manchester city council.
But it is rented to Man City for a reported £ 3 million per season in a 250-year agreement, which means that the club is responsible for all operational, maintenance and future costs.
City negotiated their lease to get naming rights for the stadium after their takeover in 2011, which means that they now fell a dazzling £ 15 million per season before the privilege of calling their home the Etihad Stadium.
That kind of money helped the club to invest in the ground again after the success of winning their first two Premier League titles.
In August 2015, City unveiled an expansion that added a third level of 7,000 seats to the South Stand-by-the capacity of the Etihad increased to 55,000.
Since then there has been heavy investments in the hospitality areas, competitors on food and drink and the addition of images of club legends, including Colin Bell, Francis Lee, David Silva, Sergio Aguero and Vincent Kompany.
Depsite The true capacity of the Etihad is 55,000, the city is playing this season for the maximum crowd of 52,900 due to new work.
The improved facilities now make MAN City one of the most important locations, not only for football, but also for music.
The stadium has organized superstar artists such as Oasis, One Direction, Beyonce and Taylor Swift.
And it is also not only stadium tours that play on the Etihad campus.
City Football Group, in addition to developers Oak View Group and Superstar Investor Harry Styles, have built a 23,500 capacity indoor music arena called Co-op Live.
The Arena, which is located on the Etihad campus just a stone's throw from the stadium itself, was opened last year with the intention of offering entertainment to fans of Man City and the wider community.
It has already organized stars such as Paul McCartney and Sam Fender, and is planned to welcome Olivia Rodrigo, Bruce Springsteen and Billie Eilish later this year.
That project is supposed to have cost all parties involved a combined reimbursement of approximately £ 365 million, but City still does not slide with their investments elsewhere.
Why now?
For Man City it's not about catching up – it's about being the best.
This philosophy has changed the city for the past 15 years and the owners want to ensure that it reflects in every part of the club.
With the current reduced capacity of 52,900, due to the current work on a new expansion, the Etihad is only the seventh largest capacity football stadium in England – not particularly appropriate for the best team in the country in the past seven years.
Plans to redevelop and add more seats would probably be the fourth largest land in the country, with a similar capacity as title rivals such as Arsenal and the Liverpool site.
But it's not just about cramming in fans for City, it's about improving the facilities as a whole.
Everyone has seen the incredible characteristics in the new ultramodern stadium of Tottenham, the stunning changes in Santiago Bernabeu of Real Madrid and the ambitious Camp Nou project of Barcelona.
Even Fulham has just installed a swimming pool in Craven Cottage.
If City wants to retain their image as one of the elite, they must ensure that they look the role while they do this.
City not only wants thousands of seats, they want fans to have an unforgettable experience on a matchday.
And crucial is that a smaller less attractive ground means that less matchday income, which in the era of PSR and FFP cold hard money means that most modern owners do not want to miss.
So what do the city do?
How exactly do you ensure that you are the best?
Well, you first start with your capacity, and the four-in-one-row champions renovate their North stand in an extension that will see their stadium capacity rising to around 62,000.
The plans, which must be completed during the 2025/26 season, are said to add around 7,000 seats to the stadium.
But it is not just about more fans, it is also about increasing the sound and the atmosphere in the process. For City, that means adding a hugely standing area of the Etihad.
This expansion comprises 3000 safe rail seats, making it the largest safe space of the Premier League.
Although they have also announced plans to “create an inheritance by setting up new paths for the next generation of fans of Manchester City to enjoy competitions”.
That is expected to set aside a number of tickets for fans under the age of 21.
Progression is also important for the city and as such, other areas of the redeveloped position will be made to accommodate different cultures and younger fans with breakout spaces, religious rooms and non-alcoholic zones.
A brand new hospitality area will also be included in the additions that 800 guests will house and a food hall with 500 seats and a premium bar.
Plus fans can look forward to an incredible sky bar with a view of the field and a stadium roof walk.
The changes also happen not only in the stadium.
Work is also underway on the 'City Square Fan Zone', a fan zone of 3000 capacity that offers food and drinks, as well as screens for supporters to watch the match on the Etihad campus.
A new club shop and a museum are also added to the area to improve the MatchDay experience.
And if you are wondering where you can stay in the area to be close to all action, then City has covered you – they also build a hotel with 400 beds.
What does it cost?
Because Sheikh Mansour came through the door at Etihad, he did not stop writing checks, whether it is for superstar players or renovated grandstands.
And now he is about to separate with the biggest payment since his arrival, with the incredible new plans of the city for Etihad.
The Mammoet expansion project of City will cost a dazzling £ 300 million.
That hefty price tag is not only almost three times the original costs of the land itself, but it is also £ 90 million more than Sheikh Mansour to buy the club in 2008.
For comparison: Liverpool has just paid £ 80 million for their expansion of Anfield Road Stand, while Fulham spent £ 120 million on their river position.
Is it all worthwhile?
Well, the project is already underway, so Sheikh Mansour will certainly hope that the investment is worth it.
And it could be sure.
Man City earned no less than £ 76.5 million in the income of the matchday last season.
It is estimated that that figure could increase an incredible £ 86.4 million with the addition of the proposed 7,000 new seats.
That improved matchday income would move the city to a similar bracket to their rivals, but would still let it behind Arsenal (£ 128 million), Spurs (£ 103 million) and Manchester United (£ 127 million).
City could, however, grab even more cash through the fan park and the hotel that also comes to the Etihad.
What does the future hold?
We know that the direct future contains cranes, scaffolding and construction work, while at a certain moment city work comes across the line during the 2025/26 campaign.
That deadline is set for the new North Stand that is being completed, but City Square Fan Zone, Hotel and more are expected to be completed at the end of 2026.
After 2026, heaven is the limit for Man City.
Do not expect any big changes in the near future, but with the club grows in the season per season, there will certainly be a desire that the stadium is growing with it.
City will not hang out and let their rivals circumvent for a very long time and will always strive to lead all the fronts in the lead in European football.
And soon there will be more room for fans to lean back and see it all unfold.
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