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

[HelloCity]

CAS 1 does detail the main strands of City's arguments.

It details the reasons City wanted the case thrown out before our reputation was damaged by an inevitable ban.

It doesn’t feature any of our evidence or witness statements in relation to the emails or finances.

 

[Exeter Blue I am here]

I have to say I slightly disagree. I think the executives have a duty of care to the club and the supporters. Whatever they tried to do in 2010-2014, I understand why they did it. However the Football Leaks were incredibly damaging and continue to be. It has allowed the media to characterise the club in a certain light. The only way you can justify that is if you win at CAS.

If they lose then I'd expect lots of blood on the carpet. The damage will be enormous and the ramifications for everyone from squad to the executives will be wide ranging and very negative. This is a watershed moment in the Abu Dhabi ownership, make no mistakes about that. Everyone from Silver Lake to the entire footballing establishment will be looking for a pound of flesh if we're guilty. It really really really doesn't bare thinking about.

Which is why, I'm beginning to think we'll win. You don't take the risk we've just taken by going to CAS, unless you fancy your chances big time.

It’s certainly bold on the club’s part given that what’s at stake is our place at the top end of English football for the foreseeable future, and given, as stated several times on here, that no legal case ever really comes with more than a 70% likelihood of success. Makes you wonder why we haven’t settled. It could be the confidence thing that Soriano spoke of, or that UEFA are feeling equally confident, have far less to lose and aren’t interested in playing ball, or that we’ve got so much on the line that exoneration (on whatever grounds) is the only outcome that isn’t potentially disastrous for us, and one we couldn’t attain through out of court negotiations.

 

[delboy]

This sounds like an episode of Line of Duty " who is HH !!"

 

[whp.blue]

but maybe they have done nothing wrong and still get found guilty? It’s about context it seems and even CAS may deem it bullshit that HH isn’t Mansour? Or that the rest of the email we don’t see still doesn’t explain the bits we have seen?

This is a distinct possibility in my view.
Our owners are International Businessmen first and Football men a distant second.
The way they have established the CFG has gone way over the heads of the footballing world.

So when they say they have done nothing wrong and are absolutely innocent I think they are definitely speaking from their Business point of view.
All big Businesses look for loop holes and use that to their advantage I am not sure a Monopoly like uefa really understand this and have struggled to keep up with our owners thinking.
This is why such a blunt tool as FFP has been shown up for what it is as they have tried to use it as a way to curtail City.
FFP has been crudely altered because uefa have never had the Business Acumen to get ahead of our Owners.
This is why I believe we could be found guilty because of uefas obvious desire to stop us and their total lack of "Real World" Business knowledge.

 

[Exeter Blue I am here]

HH is only and always used for the head honcho of the UAE according to our UAE experts on here

It belongs in the same big book of bollocks as the “smoking gun” and the imminent arrest of members of the Liverpool board, I’m afraid.....

 

[slbsn]

It details the reasons City wanted the case thrown out before our reputation was damaged by an inevitable ban.

It doesn’t feature any of our evidence or witnesses in relation to the emails or finances.

It is very likely the key arguments on limitation and jurisdiction will be re-run and are worthy of discussion. Likewise, the enforceability of the earlier settlement is also something that can be debated with reference to the rules.

But what point are you trying to make on a discussion board. Surely if you/others just want to wait for the decision they wouldn't come on this board or try to understand what might be at the heart of the debate.

 

[mosssideblue]

It belongs in the same big book of bollocks as the “smoking gun” and the imminent arrest of members of the Liverpool board, I’m afraid.....

What Intel can you share to back your assertion?. Understand if you can't

 

[Rochdale Blue]

And Jimmy Grimble.

At least he wasn't on the radio in Jimmy Grumble 2.

 

[Dirty Harry]

I've just Googled 'who is HH Abu Dhabi' and the hits come back as :- H.H Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

I know it may seem trivial to us, but isn't that as much to do with people's ignorance on how to address people in this particular culture ?

 

[HelloCity]

It is very likely the key arguments on limitation and jurisdiction will be re-run and are worthy of discussion. Likewise, the enforceability of the earlier settlement is also something that can be debated with reference to the rules.

But what point are you trying to make on a discussion board. Surely if you/others just want to wait for the decision they wouldn't come on this board or try to understand what might be at the heart of the debate.

Simply making the point that no one outside the key parties knows what City’s evidence or full case is. The comments from inside the club don’t paint a picture of trying to get this overturned based solely on procedures not being followed properly. Of course, I’m sure that will make up part of the club’s case but from what has been said, it seems like the club believe they have factual evidence to show that UEFA’s judgement is wrong regardless of whether process has been applied correctly or not. I guess we’ll see.

 

[slbsn]

Simply making the point that no one outside the key parties knows what City’s evidence or full case is. The comments from inside the club don’t paint a picture of trying to get this overturned based solely on procedures not being followed properly. Of course, I’m sure that will make up part of the club’s case but from what has been said, it seems like the club believe they have factual evidence to show that UEFA’s judgement is wrong regardless of whether process has been applied correctly or not. I guess we’ll see.

The points on limitation, jurisdiction, enforceability of settlement are not mere procedural matters - these are matters of the application of the rules. Thats not the same thing. Its very clear City will run both legal arguments of this type and substantive arguments (evaluation of the so called "irrefutable" evidence) . Any allegations relating to whether the IC/AC was fair or acting in good faith are now irrelevant as CAS looks de novo (afresh).

Whilst it is completely true, nobody outside the parties know the full case, we can discuss it with reference to what we do know. Like every topic footballing or otherwise.

We will see.

 

[richards30]

I personally think on a separate note that city will look at taking on the current UEFA board whatever the CAS outcome is. The way city have been targeted is blatant and when you look at the very first draft of the FFP document and then follow the timeline of the changes and who it targeted then it shows who the rules were to protect! Then you have platini and blatter arrested for bribery and corruption, that smarmy twat from PSG on bribery charges Who just so happens to have been voted into the UEFA board even with charges against him?! PSG spending €400m on neymar and mbappe yet still passing FFP in a one team league with no TV monies anywhere close to the premier league? Bayern being sponsored by adidas and Allianz who just so happen are also major shareholders in them? The rags being protected by David Gill who just so happens to still be a board member of United as well as UEFA? What a fucking farce it all is and Khaldoon should go for the throat once and for all!! Hopefully cerefin was told that when he attended the shaktar game and sent on his way with a message!

 

[richards30]

I've just Googled 'who is HH Abu Dhabi' and the hits come back as :- H.H Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

I know it may seem trivial to us, but isn't that as much to do with people's ignorance on how to address people in this particular culture ?

that’s what I mean? I assume it’s a massive fuck up in the Arab culture to get it wrong? So what we class as possibly a blag is seriously important in the protocol of the Abu Dhabi royal family?

 

[cheekybids]

Soriano said we have not done what we have been accused of, we will prove this & we have irrefutable evidence.

That’s what I want to see & hear.

 

[HelloCity]

The points on limitation, jurisdiction, enforceability of settlement are not mere procedural matters - these are matters of the application of the rules. Thats not the same thing. Its very clear City will run both legal arguments of this type and substantive arguments (evaluation of the so called "irrefutable" evidence) . Any allegations relating to whether the IC/AC was fair or acting in good faith are now irrelevant as CAS looks de novo (afresh).

Whilst it is completely true, nobody outside the parties know the full case, we can discuss it with reference to what we do know. Like every topic footballing or otherwise.

We will see.

How important do you feel witness statements would be in this case? If City brought out someone from Etihad to go over how the sponsorship was structured/paid, would this be a big deal or would the judges potentially think ‘well, they would say that’?

 

[Keith Moon]

It's obviously referring to Sheikh Mansour. If end up relying on arguments like that, we will have lost.

Most likely HH Sheik Mansour, yes, but HH could be anyone of HH Sheikh Zayeds sons, grandsons, great grandsons. So impossible to prove.

 

[Silva top]

Good for you but in these troubled times an owner finding a dodgy way to put more money into the Club they own might isn’t much more than a misdemeanour IMHO. Yes I might think less of the administration but it won’t affect my love for City. If people want to walk away from supporting the club if we can no longer afford world class players then that’s my choice but I would prefer there to be 30k in the ground getting behind the lads.

I think k the Club’s values seem to have improved from the Swales and Lee eras anyway. Calls by staff to vulnerable fans, paying match day staff in full, full ticket and season card refunds for cancelled games, support of food banks and free sky codes for the games we can’t go to at least matches any cheating / manipulation on FFP we might or might not have done.

I agree with most of what you say, however, my point is not what we might have done but with what the top management have said we have done which is NOTHING improper. If this is true we will win (even if we have to go to the highest international courts to eventually prove it).
In my opinion (and it is only my opinion) once City’s top people stated that we are not guilty of anything illegal or against UEFA rules the only way out is to prove our statement is true (or in court make sure that UEFA cannot disprove it).
That way the media will have no way of arguing that City have been complicit in any way (although we all know that they try in every way possible)
I still have every confidence in our top people. They appear to me to be honourable in what they say and how they act in connection with Manchester City FC.

 

[Exeter Blue I am here]

What Intel can you share to back your assertion?. Understand if you can't

Given the content of the other emails, good luck if you think HH isn’t Sheikh Mansour. Good luck also if you think the Liverpool board is going to be led away in handcuffs

 

[BlueRockape]

1) IF we were offered a deal and refused
2) We are willing to risk all by going to CAS
The club must be very confident of a win thease two things make me very confident we will beat the bent fukers

 

[slbsn]

I've just Googled 'who is HH Abu Dhabi' and the hits come back as :- H.H Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

I know it may seem trivial to us, but isn't that as much to do with people's ignorance on how to address people in this particular culture ?

There is a protocol. A number of people are HH (His Highness) and a number HE (His Excellency). The board of Mubadala is a case in point. A couple of HHs and a few HEs. HH is definitively not one person.