Rooftop soccer arrives in Spanish Harlem

Owned by Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Manchester City has the reputation for being a big-money club, throwing money around extravagantlyat players, but it likes to stress its involvement in development projects like that at PS 72 Lexington Academy in New York’s Spanish Harlem.

Manchester City chief executive, Garry Cook, Manager Roberto Mancini and players Patrick Vieira, Shay Given, Pablo Zabaleta and Vincent Kompany were on hand for the dedication of a$250,000 soccer field on the Lexington Academy rooftop and conducted a clinic.

“It’s not just about coming to the U.S., training, playing some games then leaving,” Zabaleta said. “We wantto do something different and to leave a legacy here. It shows the club is not just about spending big money on players, but important projects like this.”