Heya, I am Zineb Aarab currently on the Harlaxton 2023 May Program. I am a Junior International Student from Morocco double majoring in Management & International Studies.
Being in the UK has been nothing short of amazing, from gorgeous castles and manors reminding you of the deep and rich history to the cities and the nightlife they offer. One of my absolute favorite activities was the Manchester City tour.
If you are unfamiliar with "Football," also known as soccer in the US, you might wonder what Manchester City is. Greater Manchester region has four big football clubs, including two Premier League top clubs, Manchester United and Manchester City. On Wednesday, May 17th, 2023, Manchester won against Real Madrid by 4 to 0, a huge score gap in the football world, and this win officially sent them to the final of the Premier League.
Our tour was the following day, so the ability to sense and imagine the memories both teams created in those rooms and field was breathtaking.
Before I share the tour details, I would like to share a bit about Manchester. Manchester is the second most populated city in the UK, and it's full of history since it was where the industrial revolution began. Also, Manchester has its own China Town, and the city mascot is a bee because, just like bees, Manchester locals view themselves as hard-working, united, and dedicated.
The city is beautiful and carries a lot of history throughout, there is also a great collection of restaurants, shops and malls.
Public transportation is available at every corner of Manchester, most notably are the tram that connects most of the city and the super punctual double decker buses.
Moving on to the Manchester City Football Club Tour! Our coach driver Craig dropped us right in the parking lot near the Stadium. After a short walk past the canal, we were in front of the Manchester City Store, where Merchandise and more is sold; near the store is where we also got our lanyard tickets for the tour.
The entrance to the Manchester city Location.
This beautiful canal is rich in history, while it no longer operates you can still see the mechanism used to lift water levels, as horses would drag boats alongside.
Inside the Stadium, me, Dr. Kerr and Madeline took a group photo with the Manchester City logo and the Football Field in the background.
This is the front of the store, as you can see the baby blue color is present at every corner, the people showcasing the clothes are all football players.
Our tour consisted of two parts: a more in-depth business presentation explaining the changes and investments the area is generally undergoing and what role the Manchester City football team plays in it, and a general tour showcasing different parts of the stadium. We also had the opportunity to ask questions and learn more about how business operates in the football world. This part of the tour was hosted at the away team locker room, which is not usually included in general rules, so being able to compare that to the home team locker room really showcased the big psychological aspect of Football. In fact, even the length of the grass is significant depending on the type of game plan the coach has in mind.
This is the back of the store which is also near where we got out tickets, this store entrance faces the stadium directly.
The field may seem small but that is because the seats are super close to the filed unlike what we are used to in American Football Games.
This is the away team locker room, it had to be repainted because the Real Madrid Team had made a mess in there after losing. It felt unreal to be present where so many great players were barely a day before.
While you might think the away team changing room is tiny, it is actually the second biggest in all of Europe. Again Away team facilities are usually small and lacking as part of the football psychology which is why league games usually have two parts a home part and away part to make it more fair.
The Home team changing rooms were much bigger as you can see and much more organized. Projectors, boards etc. were available plus a personalized seats, lockers and safes for every player.
The field looks majestic from down below, the field is actually below ground level which is why the depth of the stadium is very different than what we are used to.
The Manchester City logo is very important and can be found all over the stadium, football in the UK unites many people and creates a sense of belonging to those who like and support the same team.
The Etihad Stadium takes its name after the United Arab Emirates Etihad Airlines which sponsor the team.
In this picture, our lovely tour guide took a candid interview picture with me. If you watch after match interviews they usually occur here where you can view sponsors logos in the background.
Haaland is a Norwegian football player that many football fans love and support due to his great talent. The tour guide shared that despite the many nationalities in the team, the locker room talk is usually in English since it is the common language among all.
The press room was very fun and interactive. While it may look like the infamous coach Pep Guardiola is actually in the picture it is actually a green screen technology that made pranking family with a picture fun.
Overall, the tour was excellent; it took my breath away whenever I thought it couldn't surprise me anymore. My inner child, who always dreamt of experiencing the inner secrets of European Football, was thrilled. This is definitely a memory I will never forget and will cherish forever, plus I learned quite a lot.
