Tomorrow.
The only place to start this morning was the extraordinary statement published on the Premier League website, accusing Man City of more than 100 breaches of Premier League rules after a four-year investigation.
To say that this is unprecedented is not even close. Many of the charges are financial, with the club being accused of failing to properly disclose player or manager remuneration, as well as failing to provide accurate and good faith information about sponsorship deals, in essence, manipulating the books.
In November, City announced record turnover partly due to massive £309.4m commercial revenue generated by a handful of new sponsors. The Deloitte Money League 2023 saw Man City come out on top:
Manchester City retains its position at the top of the Money League and for the second time was the club that generated the highest income in world football. This caps off a rapid rise up the rankings, as the club only entered the top five for the first time in 2015/16. This growth has been fueled by an increase in commercial revenue (from €65m to €373m in 2021/22), which is a new Premier League record.
Quite interesting, agree.
One of the most interesting charges, especially when reading City’s denial that came to light in a statement a few hours later, is this: it requires a member club to cooperate with the Premier League and assist it in its investigations, including by providing documents and information to the Premier League in the utmost good faith.
They apply from December 2018 to date. City were reigning champions in December 2018 and have won a further three titles in that time period. Which is what makes this so fascinating. In essence, the Premier League is accusing its most successful club of rule breaches that, by any measure, would not only harm that club, but the competition itself.
The magnitude of this is simply unbelievable. This is not one or two dubious moments, it is the result of a four-year investigation with more than 100 charges. City have denied everything, which is exactly what you would expect, but the Premier League have clearly found enough evidence to do what they have done. The fact that they have not even briefed City before releasing the statement suggests that there is seriousness in how they will approach this, with an independent commission to be appointed and the proceedings to be conducted in private. After which, the result will be published on the Premier League website.
As for what kind of punishment City could face, that’s another fascinating aspect of this. When it comes to an institution for which money is not an issue, because the club itself is essentially owned by a nation state with some of the deepest pockets in the world, a financial censorship basically makes no sense. It’s like issuing a parking ticket to a billionaire, it doesn’t make a dent and you’ll still park wherever you want.
There are suggestions of point deductions, transfer bans, relegation, stripping of previous titles, expulsion from the Premier League and more, IF the charges are proven. A supportive Man City lawyer writes:
Alarming or not, the magnitude of LP charges is at a level that, if proven, should lead to a decline.
— slbsn (@slbsn) February 6, 2023
The only reasonable penalties for rule violations, and violations as many, are the ones that actually hurt the offending club. These are rules that all clubs are expected to abide by, and if City have flaunted them over the years while winning multiple titles, it’s the kind of cheating for which there should be dire consequences. What’s not to say they haven’t been an amazing team with a brilliant coach, it’s that they’ve built a lot of their success on breaking the rules. Lance Armstrong was an amazing cyclist, but…
Let’s be honest, amid the shock at the charges – and I think a lot of that was due to the sheer amount as much as anything else – there was an element of ‘Well of course’ from football fans who have harbored concerns. about the fall of City. the years. This is not the first time they have faced charges of financial irregularities, an earlier UEFA investigation saw them hit with a two-year Champions League suspension before it was annulled by the CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport, which btw there can be a way out for these new charges)
If you have a few minutes, I recommend watching this video from Sporting Intel’s Nick Harris (at about 12’54 for about 11 minutes): https://vimeo.com/721879685
Play the Game 2022 – Billionaires and escapees: Is that the future of football? from Play the Game on Vimeo.
City have denied everything, claiming there is “irrefutable evidence” to back up their position. The question now is how fast things could progress. It seems that the number of charges and the vigor with which they will be fought by an extremely competent and highly paid legal team will likely lead to a prolonged saga, as it plays out in private while everyone awaits a conclusion.
Beyond that, will he have any impact on the Man City pitch? Things already feel a bit shaky; this is not the Conquering City we’ve seen in seasons past. Of course, there could be a circle of cars. They can use this in an ‘us vs. them’ kind of way, but for that to be really effective, you have to feel like a genuine injustice is being done to you. Juventus players knew they were being paid in a way that contravened the rules, it is not implausible to think that something similar could apply here to City employees: players, coaches, etc.
Does the Premier League want to keep City for no good reason? clearly not. As I said before, this damages their own brand because they have been misled, and if the charges are proven, the titles of their most successful club in recent years are completely tainted. The basic integrity of the entire competition for so many years will be damaged. Not beyond repair, but it will leave a dark mark on its history forever.
Remember this, the Premier League is so protective of its own brand that it will send people to jail for selling dodgy boxes to stream games. Here they have shown a full hand and if they come out of this without proving those alleged breaches, they will look ridiculous. Which makes me think that there is confidence that they have the evidence to back all this up.
How it all plays out, and in what time frame, will be fascinating. And with our game against City looming on the horizon, it adds another layer to an already convincing title race.
See you tomorrow.
