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

[KS55]

As much as Qatari Harris and DeLooney lead a Eastern-led line... Athletic have led an agreesive media surge from the American shores. Can't think of of any clubs with American owners... oh wait.

Football has turned into one big political fight. Barca and Real became too powerful, Bayern became too arrogant. United got too greedy. The rest of the big clubs are trying to manouvre to fit in with them and global plans

And City got too successful.

 

[Nails]

Have to say, I've ditched The Athletic over their coverage of this. I clicked to unsubscribe about three weeks ago, and though I still have access, I haven't visited it since. Was very disappointed by an almost total failure to concede that there may even be a City side to this story, let alone explore what it might be.

I won't be back.

Yep, me too

 

[Dribble]

Incriminating or not, hopefully CFG have learned that you NEVER send "For your ears & eyes only" communications through wires, or over the air. There isn't a system I've encountered which can't be gotten through if there's a will.

That being said, the "Ha ha! We gotcha red handed" or the "You've taken it all out of context" are both moot points. City didn't want to be the ones to bring down UEFA/G14 over this, but because we are where we are, we've fuck all to lose in doing so now.

What UEFA are doing with FFP is against EU competition law, plain & simple. We need to stop fucking around, & shine the flashlight on the stinking elephant in the room.

In no other walk of business is a minted owner not allowed to invest his own legal funds into his enterprise. Even worse, with FFP, a skint owner can borrow £750m, or whatever he likes, as long as a high street banking institution is willing to loan the money, & the club in question can afford the capital & interest repayments.

UEFA/G14 have taken our gloves off for us, & as far as I'm concerned, we've got fuck all to lose by going nuclear & reducing the whole scam to rubble.

THAT should be our main defence. "Here you go CAS. There's all of your 'Out of context' bollox." And then "Here you go Swiss Courts. We believe we've uncovered anti competition practices by UEFA/G14, which contravenes your EU Constitution".

Sometimes, the polite corporate way doesn't produce the desired results, & you have to get all street on your enemies. If I've ever seen a situation where this is the case, it's right here, & right now with FFP!

 

[blueinsa]

Have to say, I've ditched The Athletic over their coverage of this. I clicked to unsubscribe about three weeks ago, and though I still have access, I haven't visited it since. Was very disappointed by an almost total failure to concede that there may even be a City side to this story, let alone explore what it might be.

I won't be back.

I never got the excitement and smoke being blown up their arses when they started to be honest before and article had been written?

Quite how posters felt the same scribes simply moving would mean different content or narratives i will never know?

 

[Plain Speaking]

Have to say, I've ditched The Athletic over their coverage of this. I clicked to unsubscribe about three weeks ago, and though I still have access, I haven't visited it since. Was very disappointed by an almost total failure to concede that there may even be a City side to this story, let alone explore what it might be.

I won't be back.

What publications out there that have given us "fair coverage"? Martin Samuel's been decent?

 

[Plain Speaking]

I never got the excitement and smoke being blown up their arses when they started to be honest before and article had been written?

Quite how posters felt the same scribes simply moving would mean different content or narratives i will never know?

Several of their journalists, were better than the standard tabloid hacks, and I was thinking of getting a subscription for my Dad, who can't get enough City coverage, but I am not going to bother if they can't give balanced coverage.

 

[Centurions]

Until CAS give their judgement everything said is conjecture and opinion. Some well informed but most not. The test for City is whether the owners are prepared to take it go another court after CAS as being slightly cynical on how these things work, we will end up with some or all of the penalties imposed. Faces have to be saved. I cannot believe that we will walk away from CAS as victors. Obviously this is just an opinion, but it's based on 60 years of watching how this world works. Follow the money

CAS couldn't give a rats arse about saving face for UEFA or us.

 

[I'm no cynic but...]

Incriminating or not, hopefully CFG have learned that you NEVER send "For your ears & eyes only" communications through wires, or over the air. There isn't a system I've encountered which can't be gotten through if there's a will.

That being said, the "Ha ha! We gotcha red handed" or the "You've taken it all out of context" are both moot points. City didn't want to be the ones to bring down UEFA/G14 over this, but because we are where we are, we've fuck all to lose in doing so now.

What UEFA are doing with FFP is against EU competition law, plain & simple. We need to stop fucking around, & shine the flashlight on the stinking elephant in the room.

In no other walk of business is a minted owner not allowed to invest his own legal funds into his enterprise. Even worse, with FFP, a skint owner can borrow £750m, or whatever he likes, as long as a high street banking institution is willing to loan the money, & the club in question can afford the capital & interest repayments.

UEFA/G14 have taken our gloves off for us, & as far as I'm concerned, we've got fuck all to lose by going nuclear & reducing the whole scam to rubble.

THAT should be our main defence. "Here you go CAS. There's all of your 'Out of context' bollox." And then "Here you go Swiss Courts. We believe we've uncovered anti competition practices by UEFA/G14, which contravenes your EU Constitution".

Sometimes, the polite corporate way doesn't produce the desired results, & you have to get all street on your enemies. If I've ever seen a situation where this is the case, it's right here, & right now with FFP!

I like and totally agree with your summarisation of the situation that we and UEFA are facing, but whereas our case is presumably rock solid, UEFA may contest any proceedings based on the fact that the European football competitions are technically by invitation and that UEFA is a private club where the membership, City included, signed up to the rules and then went on to defy them. Judge Rinder, step forward please.

 

[blue b4 the moon]

Surprised as nothing has been posted overnight that there's not been a sunami of 'City in the shit' and hate articles prior to the game today, are the media on the backfoot and running scared?

 

[I'm no cynic but...]

Surprised as nothing has been posted overnight that there's not been a sunami of 'City in the shit' and hate articles prior to the game today, are the media on the backfoot and running scared?

24 hours before the Madrid game you'll see it.

 

[blue b4 the moon]

24 hours before the Madrid game you'll see it.

Probably but surprised they've not had a go for the rags.

 

[Centurions]

Surprised as nothing has been posted overnight that there's not been a sunami of 'City in the shit' and hate articles prior to the game today, are the media on the backfoot and running scared?

The Scum reckon Serge is gone at the end of the season, especially now that Greenwood has replaced him as the best striker in the EPL.

 

[tweety]

I like and totally agree with your summarisation of the situation that we and UEFA are facing, but whereas our case is presumably rock solid, UEFA may contest any proceedings based on the fact that the European football competitions are technically by invitation and that UEFA is a private club where the membership, City included, signed up to the rules and then went on to defy them. Judge Rinder, step forward please.

Certainly in the UK being a private member's club doesn't exempt you from the laws of the land. I'm a member of a private golf club, there's no such thing as a gentleman or lady member anymore due to the equality act that was brought in a few years ago.

 

[Rochdale Blue]

Have to say, I've ditched The Athletic over their coverage of this. I clicked to unsubscribe about three weeks ago, and though I still have access, I haven't visited it since. Was very disappointed by an almost total failure to concede that there may even be a City side to this story, let alone explore what it might be.

I won't be back.

Agree with you and I won't be renewing myself. It's a pity because there are some genuinely good articles on there but now it seems that the football writers being recruited are now heavily biased towards the American owned clubs in red.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

Agree with you and I won't be renewing myself. It's a pity because there are some genuinely good articles on there but now it seems that the football writers being recruited are now heavily biased towards the American owned clubs in red.

James Pearce blowing smoke up Liverpool's arse being the prime example. How the hell a hack from a regional newspaper got that gig is beyond me.

 

[Plain Speaking]

That interview with Comolli was originally on a regular Athletic pod by Ormstein and Chapman a few days earlier. So much for their so-called City coverage.

Sam Lee, the Man City Athletic correspondent, had a baby boy on March 2nd and said he was taking a month off work, I don't know if they will appoint cover?

 

[I'm no cynic but...]

Certainly in the UK being a private member's club doesn't exempt you from the laws of the land. I'm a member of a private golf club, there's no such thing as a gentleman or lady member anymore due to the equality act that was brought in a few years ago.

But that would be blatant discrimination as it would also be for racism. Competition between equal parties may be different. Supermarkets do not have racial or sexual policies but they are still influenced by our government who may block business expansion on monopoly grounds. UEFA is the European football equivalent of our government.

 

[Rochdale Blue]

Sam Lee, the Man City Athletic correspondent, had a baby boy on March 2nd and said he was taking a month off work, I don't know if they will appoint cover?

I think Sam does the pod with David Mooney but with Sam being on leave David Mooney just said a couple of lines and introduced the Comolli interview from days earlier. No chance of any input or questions from him to Ormstein or Comolli, just rehashed crap from a character thats even treated with contempt by Liverpool supporters.

 

[Gordyola]

I like and totally agree with your summarisation of the situation that we and UEFA are facing, but whereas our case is presumably rock solid, UEFA may contest any proceedings based on the fact that the European football competitions are technically by invitation and that UEFA is a private club where the membership, City included, signed up to the rules and then went on to defy them. Judge Rinder, step forward please.

It’s a cartel so it’s illegal
UEFA is not a private club it’s a commercial organisation they compete for sponsorship with other football enterprises therefore they cannot close the shop, the rules are subject to challenge in law Contracts are not worth the paper written on

 

[Bodicoteblue]

It’s a cartel so it’s illegal
UEFA is not a private club it’s a commercial organisation they compete for sponsorship with other football enterprises therefore they cannot close the shop, the rules are subject to challenge in law Contracts are not worth the paper written on

After the Bosman ruling, they were told that regulations have to be drafted with ‘EU rules in mind’ particularly freedom of movement in that case.
They were reminded by the court that despite their autonomy in a sporting context, they could not draft regulations which broke the law.