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The film chronicles the take over of the nearly bankrupt club in 2007 by a consortium of billionaires and their effort to promote the team to the Premier League by 2011.[1] The consortium consisted of Bernie Ecclestone, Flavio Briatore and Alejandro Agag, steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal and Amit Bhatia. It is an observational documentary that follows the club from within the boardroom. The cameras for this documentary were brought in by the new owners to create the film, and although the club gave permission for the cameras to be there, they had no say on where or when the cameras would be filming. The title derives from a statement made by Briatore in 2007 where he declared his 'target to be Premier League in four years'.
Release
The Four Year Plan premiered on 16 November 2011 at the IDFA Festival in the Netherlands,[2] after which it premiered on the BBC in 2012.[citation needed]
Reception
The Guardian's Michael Hann reviewed the film favorably, calling it "a rare chance to witness the sparks that fly when business, football and machismo meet".[3]