Middle Eastern business experts say the pressure will grow at Manchester City if trophies are not won.
Dr Sean Ennis, an expert in sports marketing who splits his time between Strathclyde University and the Middle East, told The Times Sheikh Mansour sees City as an opportunity to lift the UAE's global profile.
"In their culture, the leadership is used to getting what it wants," Ennis said. "If they buy something, they expect it to work and they often do not understand the nuances of the West, in particular. When they buy a football team like Manchester City, they feel they have spent the cash so the team should win, when we all know it isn't that easy.
"They believe they can spend money and win an Olympics or a World Cup because they want to host these massive events to create a tourist industry, and they cannot understand why the world has doubts about their ability to stage these big set-piece occasions."