Man City Players Turn Etihad Airway's New Terminal into a Football Pitch

Players from Manchester City’s team came together for a video and turned Etihad’s new hub into a make-shift football pitch.

Conceptualised by Impact BBDO, the video saw the football stars showcasing their skills to celebrate Etihad Airways’ new home, Zayed International Airport.

The story begins with a young Emirati watching a clip of Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola on his mobile phone while walking through the airport.

He looks up to see a pyramid display of footballs before spotting some of the Manchester City stars including Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne in the airport. The young fan motions to grab a ball but is discouraged by Jack Grealish.

However, he decides to take one after receiving a nod of approval from Pep Guardiola himself, causing the pyramid to collapse and hundreds of balls to scatter across the terminal. Manchester City players then show off their remarkable football skills to rebuild the display.

The video – also featuring Ederson, Rodri, Bernardo Silva, and Nathan Ake – ends with the players and manager catching a flight back to Manchester. The short film premiered at an a celebratory event that marked the return of Etihad’s A380 connecting Abu Dhabi to New York.

Antonoaldo Neves, chief executive officer, Etihad, said, “This video captures the joy of any young football fan given the opportunity to interact with their favourite sporting stars.

“It’s also a fantastic medium for showcasing Etihad Airways’ stunning new terminal – the backdrop for a compelling story where a boy and his fellow passengers get to see some of the modern era’s greatest players.

“Working with Manchester City on this project represents our latest collaboration with the world’s champion football club.”

Elena Sorlini, managing director and CEO at Abu Dhabi Airports, said, “We believe it will propel our objectives of re-imagining the airport experience while displaying the onsite Emirati culture and hospitality that concur to make Zayed International Airport unique by connecting past and present to welcome travellers from all over the world to Abu Dhabi.

Ferran Soriano, chief executive officer, City Football Group, said, “Our players and managers were delighted to participate in such a high quality, creative video campaign, shot in such an impressive venue. They also had a lot of fun filming it and are proud of the result.”