Speaking during his annual end-of-season review, Al Mubarak reflected on City's rise from their first major success under Roberto Mancini to the trophy-laden era led by Pep Guardiola, who left the club at the end of the 2025/26 season after a decade in charge.

"We are far from peaked," Al Mubarak said. "This is a club that is designed and built to win.

"We are used to being successful because it's in our DNA, winning."

The chairman praised the work of Mancini, Manuel Pellegrini and Guardiola, highlighting how each manager helped shape the club's identity.

"Pep has taken us to the next level," he said. "We're so thankful for what he's helped build here."

Al Mubarak stressed that success had been achieved through collective effort, pointing to the different generations of players who have delivered silverware for the club. From Sergio Aguero, Yaya Toure and David Silva to Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva, and now stars such as Erling Haaland, Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki, he believes the winning culture remains strong.

"Winning is hard, it's not easy," he said. "But we do a very good job of maintaining a winning mindset."

He also revealed that City are close to appointing Guardiola's successor and expressed confidence that the club has identified the right candidate.

"We've gone through a very thoughtful and structured process," Al Mubarak said. "Very soon we'll announce it and you will be very comfortable that we have selected and brought in the best manager possible for this club."

The chairman also reserved special praise for Haaland, describing the Norwegian striker as the best forward in world football and a future Ballon d'Or winner.

"I consider him the best striker in the world," Al Mubarak said. "I consider him a Ballon d'Or winner hopefully soon.

"This young man is a winner."

Haaland has enjoyed remarkable success since joining City in 2022, winning multiple major honours and collecting three Premier League Golden Boot awards. Al Mubarak believes the 25-year-old has developed into one of the club's key leaders and remains central to City's ambitions for the future.

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