Manchester City’s 115 charges and legal action - Premier League statement p9

cafctom

PL execs have apparently already said (anonymously) to a journalist on Sky that they don’t want Man City expelled from the league (or even relegated any time soon). This is all because the commercial loss to the league for losing one of the big 6 is too much for them to stomach.

So there you have it. What’s morally right for the game and the league is not top of their agenda whatsoever. It’s all about commercial revenue. 

This is what I think will ensure that whatever City’s sanction, it won’t be some terminal punishment that will send them into the abyss forever. Their brand is too big, and nobody is filling their spot any time soon. 

ElfsborgAddick

cafctom said:

PL execs have apparently already said (anonymously) to a journalist on Sky that they don’t want Man City expelled from the league (or even relegated any time soon). This is all because the commercial loss to the league for losing one of the big 6 is too much for them to stomach.

So there you have it. What’s morally right for the game and the league is not top of their agenda whatsoever. It’s all about commercial revenue. 

This is what I think will ensure that whatever City’s sanction, it won’t be some terminal punishment that will send them into the abyss forever. Their brand is too big, and nobody is filling their spot any time soon. 

And this is where football stinks.
The enjoyment of the game known pre Sky has been shot to s*** progressively for the past 30 years.

cblock

 cafctom said:

PL execs have apparently already said (anonymously) to a journalist on Sky that they don’t want Man City expelled from the league   This is all because the commercial loss to the league for losing one of the big 6 is too much for them to stomach.

So there you have it. What’s morally right for the game and the league is not top of their agenda whatsoever. It’s all about commercial revenue. 

This is what I think will ensure that whatever City’s sanction, it won’t be some terminal punishment that will send them into the abyss forever. Their brand is too big,  

TootingRedArmy

City need to be hung draw & quartered ! Kicked out of prem & EFL & made to start again in a National league division, huge fine, titles stripped and owners facing CPS charges for fraud……Do I feel sorry for the fans, yes, it’s not their fault they have dodgy owners, it’s ultimate VAR decision all those titles celebrated and the Lawyers finding City were offside & fraudulent on an industrial scale. The only winners are the Fat cat lawyers their fees so far have been astronomical and will continue to grow as this sorry saga drags on..

soapboxsam

With Andy Burnham who made the quantum leap from Manchester Mayor to PM, I wonder should he really be saying good things despite the money the powerful United Arabic Emirates Owners gave to the city of Manchester.

The PM should be careful as his political opponents will have a field day on this issue.
Number 10 saying no one is above the law to try to negate the personal views of Andy Burnham.

thickandthin63

JiMMy 85 said:

I am really surprised at how many people think City will get away with a fine and a small points deduction. What they've done is probably the biggest case of cheating in the history of the sport (that we are aware of at least). The people who did it are still at the club. The club is still benefitting from the cheating (and for all we know, the cheating might be ongoing or, at least, lasted well beyond the timeframe of the charges). 
  
The impact is huge. The majority of PL clubs believe this has impacted them on myriad levels - losing out on trophies, European qualification and PL prize money for finishing lower than they perhaps might have. Clubs will argue they were relegated unfairly. Clubs lost players to money City shouldn't have had. Nobody knows where to draw the line on this, and a line will have to be drawn even if it isn't entirely fair. But will that line save City from being sued by dozens of different entities in law courts outside of football? 

I am beginning to think the situation is absolutely dire for Manchester City. The independent commission that declared City to be guilty doesn't seem to be afraid of treating them with the contempt they deserve, so I expect the punishment to be dramatic.

The government might step in and that alone will be fascinating. As a society we largely choose to remain ignorant of the relationships the UK has with countries we might not be particularly fond of, and this one is going to clash with something that does matter to us, and my gut feeling is the government won't save City. It's too high profile and consequential for too many people. I am incredibly surprised at Burnham's words today, and I think he's going to get shouted down for what he's said and not want to touch it again. The man wants to be popular. 

Even if City is saved from expulsion from the PL, or even the EFL, the law suits they're up against could cause an existential crisis - especially if the owners leave (and based on the PL's rules could and should be forced to sell the club anyway). 

I think there is a very real chance that City will have to reform from the ashes of a club that Mansour has set fire to. And I am loving every second of it, because I never, ever bought into the idea that we should be enjoying that fucking hypocrite Guardiola's football. It was an incredibly effective smokescreen to disguise what those people were really up to.

I got shouted down on this forum in 2017 or 2018 for being against it to the extent that I didn't post here for the best part of a year. So fuck City and fuck Mansour and his cronies. I hope they get booted out and sued to hell. And yes, fuck those of you from that Guardiola thread that annoyed me so much. I feel really bloody smug now. 

Totally agree on all points,all this bollocks about what a wonderful coach Guardiola is pisses me off.He Managed a Barca side with a midfield of Xavi and Iniesta,with Messi up front,I could have managed that side.He managed Bayern Munich and won the league,well done,everybody who manages Bayern wins the league,and finally he wins the Champions league with City with illegally bought players,lets see how gets on if he ever has the bollocks to take over a struggling side.

Covered End

bobmunro

thickandthin63 said:

JiMMy 85 said:

I am really surprised at how many people think City will get away with a fine and a small points deduction. What they've done is probably the biggest case of cheating in the history of the sport (that we are aware of at least). The people who did it are still at the club. The club is still benefitting from the cheating (and for all we know, the cheating might be ongoing or, at least, lasted well beyond the timeframe of the charges). 
  
The impact is huge. The majority of PL clubs believe this has impacted them on myriad levels - losing out on trophies, European qualification and PL prize money for finishing lower than they perhaps might have. Clubs will argue they were relegated unfairly. Clubs lost players to money City shouldn't have had. Nobody knows where to draw the line on this, and a line will have to be drawn even if it isn't entirely fair. But will that line save City from being sued by dozens of different entities in law courts outside of football? 

I am beginning to think the situation is absolutely dire for Manchester City. The independent commission that declared City to be guilty doesn't seem to be afraid of treating them with the contempt they deserve, so I expect the punishment to be dramatic.

The government might step in and that alone will be fascinating. As a society we largely choose to remain ignorant of the relationships the UK has with countries we might not be particularly fond of, and this one is going to clash with something that does matter to us, and my gut feeling is the government won't save City. It's too high profile and consequential for too many people. I am incredibly surprised at Burnham's words today, and I think he's going to get shouted down for what he's said and not want to touch it again. The man wants to be popular. 

Even if City is saved from expulsion from the PL, or even the EFL, the law suits they're up against could cause an existential crisis - especially if the owners leave (and based on the PL's rules could and should be forced to sell the club anyway). 

I think there is a very real chance that City will have to reform from the ashes of a club that Mansour has set fire to. And I am loving every second of it, because I never, ever bought into the idea that we should be enjoying that fucking hypocrite Guardiola's football. It was an incredibly effective smokescreen to disguise what those people were really up to.

I got shouted down on this forum in 2017 or 2018 for being against it to the extent that I didn't post here for the best part of a year. So fuck City and fuck Mansour and his cronies. I hope they get booted out and sued to hell. And yes, fuck those of you from that Guardiola thread that annoyed me so much. I feel really bloody smug now. 

Totally agree on all points,all this bollocks about what a wonderful coach Guardiola is pisses me off.He Managed a Barca side with a midfield of Xavi and Iniesta,with Messi up front,I could have managed that side.He managed Bayern Munich and won the league,well done,everybody who manages Bayern wins the league,and finally he wins the Champions league with City with illegally bought players,lets see how gets on if he ever has the bollocks to take over a struggling side.

England?

letthegoodtimesroll

In case it’s not been mentioned, Treasury Committee has asked HMRC whether it’s requested the redacted documents in the Commissions report.

EugenesAxe

I dont particularly follow the PL anyway but if Citeh get away with a big fine and a nominal points deduction that keeps them in the league then its clear for all to see what a pointless procession the division really is.

eastterrace6168

EugenesAxe said:

I dont particularly follow the PL anyway but if Citeh get away with a big fine and a nominal points deduction that keeps them in the league then its clear for all to see what a pointless procession the division really is.

100%… but we know that’s what will probably happen…don’t we 🤦

EugenesAxe

eastterrace6168 said:

EugenesAxe said:

I dont particularly follow the PL anyway but if Citeh get away with a big fine and a nominal points deduction that keeps them in the league then its clear for all to see what a pointless procession the division really is.

100%… but we know that’s what will probably happen…don’t we 🤦

Will only confirm what I already knew so no support lost here, would hope a few more neutrals would vote with their feet too.

cabbles

The bit about execs in the PL not wanting to see them kicked out the league because of worries over commercial income is very frustrating.

its the football tourists and the global audience they’re putting first in that instance.

countless X accounts from that type of Man City fan have been saying since the verdict ‘how can you have a Premier League without City etc’, but if you’re English I doubt you care.  Football is cyclical and 30 years ago, City were about to drop out the Premier League and fall down into what is now League One.  The beauty of the English game is that there are 92 clubs, some with a rich history behind them, that the appeal has always been about all of our teams and their heritage.  Brentford, Bournemouth and Brighton.  Up until recently, these teams were perennial lower league teams, drifting up and down what is now the football league.  

I wouldn’t give a toss if City didn’t play at the top level.  Clubs come and go.  It’s the plastics that it would impact 

Leuth

I think the punishment should be to revoke Manchester's city status and make them rename themselves Manchester Town. No further punishment 

Dazzler21

Er_Be_Ab_Pl_Wo_Wo_Ch said:

I'd go for something like minus 40 points this season, plus 1 relegation. Would be an apt punishment, and keep things interesting. As a minimum next season they'd be in the Championship. If they end this season in the bottom 3 they start next season in League One.

Just send them straight to League 2 with a 40 point deduction. A season in the championship is no punishment at all. 

Simonsen

If a relegation or two happens, I wonder how that will leave them from an FFP point of view....? Reduced revenue, huge overheads etc etc. 

MrWalker

Asked if he was worried the club's owners since 2008 - led by Sheikh Mansour, a royal and the United Arab Emirates deputy prime minister - might sell up, Burnham said: "I would be really concerned to lose them.

jimmymelrose

PragueAddick said:

killerandflash said:

I'm sure Burnham is slightly conflicted,  as with his former Mayor of Greater Manchester hat on, City and their owners have been very good for Manchester. Vast amounts of investment in and around the Etihad Complex, including the 20k Coop Arena.

I imagine that in his previous job, he spent lots of time schmoozing with City's owners...

Thanks, you saved me making that point, I'll add that most of that investment dates back to long before Burnham became mayor of Manchester, he inherited the whole thing. While I was working on that Olympic Stadium campaign, somebody fixed me up with a telephone call to somebody fairly high up in the council, who was able to assist me in understanding the deal between the city and the council regarding the stadium (which was already a stark comparator with the London deal). I was quite taken aback by some of the things he told me. The figure for Mansour's investment in the city, as opposed to the club, already stood at £900mil.  and included a whole new tram line. 
At first sight, I didn't much like Burnham's statement either, but he's a new PM. Even though he's probably easily the most authentic football fan who's ever made it to Prime Minister, he still has to focus onr the broader interests of the country as a whole. Abu Dhabi is basically a country being dragged into a war started by a country with whom we are supposed to have a special relationship. At this stage, nobody knows who in that operation instigated all this blatant cheating. Of course, the " fish rots from the head" rule  applies to City just as it does to any other company, but I wouldn't be surprised if the main culprits turn out to be very British. Plenty such types were more than ready to take Abramovic's rouble in furtherance of Chelsea's bid for football supremacy. 

No it's not.

Southbank

MrWalker said:

Asked if he was worried the club's owners since 2008 - led by Sheikh Mansour, a royal and the United Arab Emirates deputy prime minister - might sell up, Burnham said: "I would be really concerned to lose them.

He has had to backtrack on that pretty quick. What levels of corruption do we think might be involved given him saying Manchester cannot afford to lose their money. 

Return of the SE7

If you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas. A bit harsh on dogs, I know!

cafctom

cabbles said:

The bit about execs in the PL not wanting to see them kicked out the league because of worries over commercial income is very frustrating.

its the football tourists and the global audience they’re putting first in that instance.

countless X accounts from that type of Man City fan have been saying since the verdict ‘how can you have a Premier League without City etc’, but if you’re English I doubt you care.  Football is cyclical and 30 years ago, City were about to drop out the Premier League and fall down into what is now League One.  The beauty of the English game is that there are 92 clubs, some with a rich history behind them, that the appeal has always been about all of our teams and their heritage.  Brentford, Bournemouth and Brighton.  Up until recently, these teams were perennial lower league teams, drifting up and down what is now the football league.  

I wouldn’t give a toss if City didn’t play at the top level.  Clubs come and go.  It’s the plastics that it would impact 

Exactly!

And the ironic thing that those plastics will fail to realise is that the only reason Man City are a ‘big draw’ nowadays is because they’ve cheated their way into that position. 

I saw yesterday Jamie O’Hara, the absolute king of the plastic armchair fan type pundit, say that he simply “cannot get his head around a Premier League that doesn’t have City” or something to that effect. 

To these people the Premier League really is just the big 6 clubs - nothing else really comes into the attraction.

MarcusH26

O'Hara played when City were midtable fodder so that's an absolutely bizarre comment from him. 

Arsenetatters

Southbank said:

MrWalker said:

Asked if he was worried the club's owners since 2008 - led by Sheikh Mansour, a royal and the United Arab Emirates deputy prime minister - might sell up, Burnham said: "I would be really concerned to lose them.

He has had to backtrack on that pretty quick. What levels of corruption do we think might be involved given him saying Manchester cannot afford to lose their money. 

Got to hope that, as Mayor, he stayed squeaky clean. There’ll be people digging around in that already. Maybe the next Liz Truss?!

SE7_Red

guinnessaddick said:

SE7_Red said:

I think the sporting punishment will be a big points deduction which might land them in the champ for one year, but that'll be a bit like Juve a few years back where they will just waltz the league and return like nothings happened....It's not really that much of a setback considering how far cheating has got them. Most clubs will take 7 league titles and a CL for the sake of one season out of the PL. 

The huge rabbit hole is going to be all the legal claims from other clubs. The ones who have missed out on prize money / champions league qualification / got relegated etc etc. You could even have smaller clubs done the pyramid claiming for transfer fee add ons that were never paid because of it. The amount of clubs who will be launching action against Citeh will be into the dozens. 

Hope it ******* bankrupts them

Is one year in the championship enough of a punishment? When they’ve been at it for years.

Nope I don't think it is

But I just don't think it's going to be worse than that 

SE7_Red

cafctom said:

PL execs have apparently already said (anonymously) to a journalist on Sky that they don’t want Man City expelled from the league (or even relegated any time soon). This is all because the commercial loss to the league for losing one of the big 6 is too much for them to stomach.

So there you have it. What’s morally right for the game and the league is not top of their agenda whatsoever. It’s all about commercial revenue. 

This is what I think will ensure that whatever City’s sanction, it won’t be some terminal punishment that will send them into the abyss forever. Their brand is too big, and nobody is filling their spot any time soon. 

I think that's also complete horse****

People aren't going to watch / buy merchandise for the premier league because Citeh aren't in it?

Complete b*****s....their fan base in the UK is tiny compared to the other "big" clubs and are people seriously suggesting that overseas fans and broadcasters in general won't be as interested in the premier league if there's "only" Man Utd, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal etc in it?

If Citeh get kicked out, the other clubs will capture their overseas fans and the amount of actual UK fans make little difference - they don't even sell out their stadium

fenaddick

SE7_Red said:

cafctom said:

PL execs have apparently already said (anonymously) to a journalist on Sky that they don’t want Man City expelled from the league (or even relegated any time soon). This is all because the commercial loss to the league for losing one of the big 6 is too much for them to stomach.

So there you have it. What’s morally right for the game and the league is not top of their agenda whatsoever. It’s all about commercial revenue. 

This is what I think will ensure that whatever City’s sanction, it won’t be some terminal punishment that will send them into the abyss forever. Their brand is too big, and nobody is filling their spot any time soon. 

I think that's also complete horse****

People aren't going to watch / buy merchandise for the premier league because Citeh aren't in it?

Complete b*****s....their fan base in the UK is tiny compared to the other "big" clubs and are people seriously suggesting that overseas fans and broadcasters in general won't be as interested in the premier league if there's "only" Man Utd, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal etc in it?

If Citeh get kicked out, the other clubs will capture their overseas fans and the amount of actual UK fans make little difference - they don't even sell out their stadium

It’s a crazy argument. City games apparently get lower viewing figures than the other “big teams” and they had to artificially inflate their sponsorship deals. That’s before you get into the fact that viewing figures decline when you have runaway winners like City have been. 

If anything there’s an argument to be made that kicking them out would be good for the league commercially 

clive

https://www.thefa.com/news/2026/oct/02/fa-statement-on-manchester-city-20260210

se9addick

fenaddick said:

SE7_Red said:

cafctom said:

PL execs have apparently already said (anonymously) to a journalist on Sky that they don’t want Man City expelled from the league (or even relegated any time soon). This is all because the commercial loss to the league for losing one of the big 6 is too much for them to stomach.

So there you have it. What’s morally right for the game and the league is not top of their agenda whatsoever. It’s all about commercial revenue. 

This is what I think will ensure that whatever City’s sanction, it won’t be some terminal punishment that will send them into the abyss forever. Their brand is too big, and nobody is filling their spot any time soon. 

I think that's also complete horse****

People aren't going to watch / buy merchandise for the premier league because Citeh aren't in it?

Complete b*****s....their fan base in the UK is tiny compared to the other "big" clubs and are people seriously suggesting that overseas fans and broadcasters in general won't be as interested in the premier league if there's "only" Man Utd, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal etc in it?

If Citeh get kicked out, the other clubs will capture their overseas fans and the amount of actual UK fans make little difference - they don't even sell out their stadium

It’s a crazy argument. City games apparently get lower viewing figures than the other “big teams” and they had to artificially inflate their sponsorship deals. That’s before you get into the fact that viewing figures decline when you have runaway winners like City have been. 

If anything there’s an argument to be made that kicking them out would be good for the league commercially 

Yeah I don’t see that there would be a massive commercial impact from City not being in the league. Would foreign TV rights collapse because City aren’t in the league anymore?

Arguably one of the things that makes English football attractive - it’s not been tarnished by some of the corruption seen in other leagues and it’s not a carve up between a couple of massive clubs. A severe punishment could reinforce the integrity of the competition, a slap on the wrist will probably do more to undermine the appeal overseas of the league than Man City not being in it.

DA9

Expel them from the PL, then an agreement with the EFL that they start off the next season  -40 points in whatever division they are in, then a £250m+ fine evenly distributed between every single club they played in any first team match from when the Arabs took over. (Not every single PL fixture, i.e. Arsenal get 1 payment, Leyton Orient who played them in the FA cup last year get 1 payment) and so on going right back to September 2008 when the owners took over. 

cafctom

SE7_Red said:

cafctom said:

PL execs have apparently already said (anonymously) to a journalist on Sky that they don’t want Man City expelled from the league (or even relegated any time soon). This is all because the commercial loss to the league for losing one of the big 6 is too much for them to stomach.

So there you have it. What’s morally right for the game and the league is not top of their agenda whatsoever. It’s all about commercial revenue. 

This is what I think will ensure that whatever City’s sanction, it won’t be some terminal punishment that will send them into the abyss forever. Their brand is too big, and nobody is filling their spot any time soon. 

I think that's also complete horse****

People aren't going to watch / buy merchandise for the premier league because Citeh aren't in it?

Complete b*****s....their fan base in the UK is tiny compared to the other "big" clubs and are people seriously suggesting that overseas fans and broadcasters in general won't be as interested in the premier league if there's "only" Man Utd, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal etc in it?

If Citeh get kicked out, the other clubs will capture their overseas fans and the amount of actual UK fans make little difference - they don't even sell out their stadium

A fairly rude way of saying you’ve got a different opinion, but I’ll let you off and will offer some more context behind my argument:

- As stated already, PL executives have already started making noises about the concern they’d have about expelling them from the league altogether. Are they talking “horse-shit”? Even though they’d have the possibility of voting to completely wipe out a rival, they’d be worried about actually doing it. 

- If City instantly leave the league, the amount of blockbuster big 6 games that happen immediately drops by ~15-20%. At no point did I say people will “stop watching”, but losing Man City definitely hurts the league from a TV perspective rather than assists it. A prime-time airing of Man City vs Arsenal is a far bigger deal than Aston Villa/Sunderland/Leeds vs Arsenal, especially to the overseas viewing public.

- The smaller clubs who have made the PL like Hull, Brentford, Brighton and Coventry. To them, Man City home or away is one of the golden ticket fixtures for the revenue it brings on the day or via TV. For them to vote against having that option in the short term (when their PL place is by no means guaranteed long term) would cost them money.

- A big (and successful) part of Premier League marketing is not just about clubs, but about individual players. Man City currently boast the likes of Haaland and Foden. That might not matter to the sort of fan that posts on Championship message boards like this, but a lot of younger fans getting into the game will actively follow star players. 

All in all, if booting City out the league immediately was something clubs would love to do - then they’d be pushing for it. As it stands so far, they aren’t so keen. That tells you all you need to know. And it’s nothing about ‘integrity’ or upholding the traditions of the pyramid or any of that stuff that frankly went out the window years ago. It’s purely about short and long term commercial benefit.