UEFA FFP investigation - CAS decision to be announced Monday, 13th July 9.30am BST

[Shaelumstash]

Post of the thread, and the last sentence is the nub of the matter. A lot of people on here seem to be under the impression that because what City have done may not contravene the precise specifications of FFP as written, we are home and hosed. For me, they’re almost an irrelevance. This is the last and best chance our enemies (and I’m not talking about UEFA) have to get rid of us, not just for a season or two, but permanently. They will have already made their preferred decision clear to UEFA IMO and what the latter will be tasked with is coming up with a semi-credible vehicle to justify it. If that means inventing new bullshit about “the spirit of FFP” then I don’t doubt they will. Like you, I’m struggle to envisage a scenario, other than the obvious, in which those emails could have been taken out of context. These are utter bastards we’re dealing with. I don’t subscribe to the idea that UEFA will “investigate” this and then come up with a “nothing to see here” verdict, given the pressure on them from our rivals and the media. Court is where this ends for me, and that frankly is seldom more than a lottery. I hope we batter them

Post of the thread.

It's inevitable that UEFA will find a way to charge us and try to ban us for 1 year.

Thanks guys.

Irrespective of what City may or may not have done, there seems to be universal scepticism of whether we will get a fair hearing from UEFA.

That’s a terrible situation, but it’s understandable given UEFA’s behaviour.

I have come up with one possible theory as to how these emails could be taken “out of context”.

Perhaps the references to “ADUG” are not a refence to the actual parent company of City.

Perhaps “ADUG” was initially an informal group of rich UAE businessmen wanting to get involved in football. Maybe “His Highness” Sheikh Mohammed was a member of this group.

Perhaps the name “ADUG” was given to City’s parent company, and that legal entity is owned 100% by Sheikh Mansour, zero to do with Sheikh Mohammed.

If the refences in the emails to “ADUG” were a reference to the informal group of rich businessmen, and not a reference to City’s parent company, then I completely see how they’ve been taken out of context and City have done nothing wrong.

If we signed sponsorship contracts with Aarbar, Etisalat etc, it’s not really our business how they fund those deals. And it’s not really UEFA’s (providing no one legally connected to City has provided the finance).

If people associated with the inner workings of City such a Simon Pearce facilitated those deals, UEFA may well argue it’s still against the “spirit” of the rules, but I think they’d be hard pressed to throw the book at us.

This is all conjecture on my part of course, I’m just thinking aloud how those emails could be possibly be taken out of context.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

Could 3 be a concern re PL FFP?

I very much doubt it. Allowable losses are much higher in the PL's Short Term Cost Control rules.

 

[i kne albert davy]

Manchester City welcomes the opening of a formal UEFA investigation as an opportunity to bring to an end the speculation resulting from the illegal hacking and out of context publication of City emails. The accusation of financial irregularities are entirely false. The Club’s published accounts are full and complete and a matter of legal and regulatory record.


I really don't think there is anything to be concerned about. The club are fully confident that they have done nothing wrong.

So was the PSG defender on Wednesday night.

 

[blueste41]

It's online now

So other clubs want to know what action will be taken for breaking rules that don't exist and have yet to be investigated let alone proven?! You couldn't make it up, oh they just did!

 

[Gorton_Tubster]

They were running the show now it's been taken out of their hands. They may print stories but they aren't controlling it now the investigation is between UEFA and City.

Yup, until the headlines about how UEFA are corrupt, in turn UEFA will want to show they are not. Media pressure has gotten us here imo, it wont stop, in fact I think it will ramp up, I do not think UEFA will ignore public opinion and pressure

 

[cucumberman]

I’m as confident as the club in this.

 

[blueparrot]

Yup, until the headlines about how UEFA are corrupt, in turn UEFA will want to show they are not. Media pressure has gotten us here imo, it wont stop, in fact I think it will ramp up, I do not think UEFA will ignore public opinion and pressure

I don't think UEFA want to find anything that would require them to revisit previous judgements.

 

[The_Caddy]

I almost want UEFA to take this to court so they can be embarrassed by trying to use stolen documents as some kind of proof, what about all the investigating they did a few years back before they fined us? are they going to come out and say they didn't do enough and that they were incorrect

UEFA want this to end up in the CAS. In the CAS illegally obtained documents can be used as evidence.

 

[prestonibbo_mcfc]

Guilty, even if found innocent. The shit has been thrown and has stuck.
That's good enough for the slingers.

 

[Blue Til Death]

Fuck UEFA, one day the depth of corruption running through that poor excuse of an football organisation will be fully revealed, until then I'm happy winning domestic trophies...

 

[Bozzie]

1) All depends on whether these companies are deemed to be related parties. If not then they're free to pay what they like. If they are, then the transactions have to be fair market value. Etihad clearly is fair value (& UEFA agreed it was) so it's utterly irrelevant where the money comes from and UEFA's own website clearly states this. Thr Aabar & Etisalat were deemed to be over-valued but, again, are they related parties? If not (and City say they aren't) then again it's irrelevant. If so, then UEFA would be entitled to mak these down to what was considered fair value. Even if it did, we still might not fail FFP. But UEFA knew about these deals and we agreed not to increase them as part of the settlement so they can't claim ignorance of them.

2) This is a UEFA issue as I understand it but irrelevant for FFP purposes.

3) This is a potential issue but UEFA also knew about this arrangement and PWC had flagged their suspicions. As far as I can see, there's about £5-7m going out of this company every year. We may have to agree to bring this back in-house or report it as part of our FFP submission. I believe we've got enough in the FFP "pot" to soak it up without failing FFP anyway. As far as I can see we're carrying in excess of a £50m accumulated surplus based on the 2018 results, compared to a maximum allowable deviation of a £24m loss.

So even in a worst case scenario where all these things were taken into account and our FFP assessment was revisited, I still think we probably wouldn't have failed.

4) This is a FIFA issue so not related to FFP.

If, in 2014, our accountants deemed that Aarbar and Etisalat aren't 'related parties' and submitted our accounts to all the relevant authorities on that basis isn't that the end of the discussion as to whether they are or aren't?

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

I don't think UEFA want to find anything that would require them to revisit previous judgements.

I think you're right. In fact we're actually in a stronger position in some ways now all this is in the open. Before, if we'd taken UEFA to court in 2014, all this would have come out anyway, as we'd have been forced to reveal all documents pertaining to FFP. But so would UEFA and I'm not at all sure that they wanted that, any more than we did. But all our stuff is pretty well in play now whereas they've probably still got things they want to keep quiet.

My suspicion is we'll maybe get a slap on the wrist and be bound over to do or not do certain things in future.

 

[M12Blue]

For me strength of statement from club means:

1 issue has already been sorted with UEFA and this is a pantomime, or
2. City are on the right side of the ‘legalities’ having exploited loopholes only, and the club know it and have already told UEFA to bring it on.

This is much bigger than UEFA and football and they know it.

 

[M12Blue]

So other clubs want to know what action will be taken for breaking rules that don't exist and have yet to be investigated let alone proven?! You couldn't make it up, oh they just did!

They’re just shit stirring mate

 

[Damanino]

Rivals are out for blood and they do have lot of lobby power for sure. They do put pressure on FA, PL, Uefa regarding to try to punish us.
First they came together they managed to bring in a PL FFP with 13 clubs voting for it. That would have never happened if they dont have lobby power.

At least 12 clubs sounds bad as they still tryin to convice the rest of them as well maybe.

But we really should do something about it as its nothing but negative publicity, bringing Citys name trough the mud, Mansour is getting more accusations, called a chater than praised for what he has done for City. Does the UAE really getting positive picture regarding City investments what was the main goal?

I kinda wish there wouldnt be so much stress between UAE and Qatar and somehow the two countries could work together as joint forces regarding FFP PSG and City...

 

[Indaparkside]

We go 1, point clear then this happens. Trying everything to destabilise the club if you ask me

 

[Cityfan1977]

Can anyone tell me one thing why did Puma sign a 10 year deal with City if there are change that we are punished and not allowed to compete in CL

 

[nmc]

I think you're right. In fact we're actually in a stronger position in some ways now all this is in the open. Before, if we'd taken UEFA to court in 2014, all this would have come out anyway, as we'd have been forced to reveal all documents pertaining to FFP. But so would UEFA and I'm not at all sure that they wanted that, any more than we did. But all our stuff is pretty well in play now whereas they've probably still got things they want to keep quiet.

My suspicion is we'll maybe get a slap on the wrist and be bound over to do or not do certain things in future.

There must be significant evidence of G14 clubs reinventing FFP to create a stick to beat us that would be hugely embarrassing for UEFA - I can’t see anyway they will want court proceedings and a list of document requests from us that would put their manoeuvrings into the public domain.

 

[blueparrot]

I think you're right. In fact we're actually in a stronger position in some ways now all this is in the open. Before, if we'd taken UEFA to court in 2014, all this would have come out anyway, as we'd have been forced to reveal all documents pertaining to FFP. But so would UEFA and I'm not at all sure that they wanted that, any more than we did. But all our stuff is pretty well in play now whereas they've probably still got things they want to keep quiet.

My suspicion is we'll maybe get a slap on the wrist and be bound over to do or not do certain things in future.

Which is why, and it's only my guess, I think we've asked UEFA to investigate or clear us to draw a line under all this leaked stuff and stop it dragging on through the media, which isn't doing us nor indeed UEFA much good.

 

[OmgOgs]

Yes, you must be[/QUO

They’re just shit stirring mate

Going to be honest about this I dont think this is United. More than likely Liverpool as their likely to miss out on being champions so their ownly way to win is have you banned even though deep down they know you've done nought wrong.