Weah accused Man City of signing him as a publicity stunt before walking out after two months

George Weah walked out on Manchester City just two months into a two-year contract in 2000, accusing the club of signing him as a publicity stunt rather than treating him as a genuine first-team option under manager Joe Royle.

The Ballon d’Or winner arrived at the newly-promoted City in August 2000 following a spell at Chelsea, where he had won the FA Cup. Despite high hopes of becoming a regular starter, Weah made only nine appearances and contributed six goals before severing ties with the club.

“It was not a matter of not playing,” Weah said at the time. “I left because of the way I was treated. There was a lack of communication, no decency and no respect. I know people may think it is about money, but I was born poor and cash has nothing to do with it. But I will not allow anyone to insult my integrity.”

Weah was equally blunt about his belief that City were exploiting his reputation rather than valuing his ability. “I was made to feel old and of no use to the club,” he said. “I felt I was being used for publicity, to attract other players and to show the public that big players would come here. I am not a trouble maker and I don’t need to play every game — I just want to be respected. I just want to be treated like an ordinary player.”

The Liberian striker had arrived in Manchester with a distinguished CV. He had won two Serie A titles with AC Milan, a French league title with Paris Saint-Germain, and numerous other honours across a career that spanned Europe’s top clubs.

After leaving City, Weah returned to France with Marseille but never added another major team honour to his collection. He finished his playing career at Al Jazira in the UAE, retiring at 37.

Weah’s post-football life took a remarkable turn when he entered politics in Liberia. He was elected president of his home country in 2018 and served six years in office before being succeeded by Joseph Boakai in 2024.

The story resurfaced this week as City prepare to host Paris Saint-Germain — the club where Weah enjoyed some of his finest years — in the Champions League. Given the circumstances of his Manchester departure, it is reasonable to assume his sympathies lie firmly with the visitors.