PL charge City for alleged breaches of financial rules

[mancboy]

Why don’t these clubs focus on putting their own businesses in order instead of obsessing over what City or Chelsea are doing? I think a lot of it is just deflection tactics to cover up for their own incompetence.

The rags have literally just blamed their woeful running of the club on a worldwide pandemic that apparently affected them 40 times worse than anyone else so good luck getting them to take responsibility

 

[Norbiton]

I’m not stirring or indeed making much of a point, but just an interesting conversation last night with someone who works high up for one of our local rivals (not high, high but fairly high) who is interested in this.

He does not support the team he works for and is an intelligent, articulate guy.

We’ve spoken previously but this time was the first time we have had a real chat on it.

Firstly, I was struck by how much they believe we are guilty, he felt that it is widely considered City enhanced our revenues to comply with FFP. He listened to my argument around the damage reputation and the theory the process is the punishment and acknowledged there are 2 sides.

We pretty much agreed that we hear different things from both sides and in reality City being in a growth stage and needing to maximise revenue, whilst planning to be self sufficient long term where happy to invest in the short term.

He acknowledged Man City are considered very professional and probably took the best advise possible on how to spend the most, whilst keeping compliant. A conversation that now dominates most Board rooms in the PL as all clubs have this problem.

He knew about information and the detail, which I find to be rare. Spoke about the £8 million Etihad deal and agreed that it would be a lot below market value and would be a strange deal to do, not one he would expect our owners to do. He felt that it would be a friendly agreement where we back date sponsorship value to help us pass. Which he felt was not in the spirit of how sponsorship worked (likened it to a successful business man, sponsoring his Son’s grassroots team and getting a bill at the end of the season for whatever they have incurred). Felt it was not commercial reality. I kind of got him onboard with the fact FFP, football has always been short term, but these guys are long term and by supporting the team to grow the value comes in later years etc. He acknowledged that the Etihad deal has proved worthwhile and we agreed to disagree who paid, although acknowledged if Etihad paid then there should be no issue.

The Esislat deal I know less about, despite my time on here and the image rights is also a bit confusing, so I was not comfortable enough talking about that. We did touch on Mancini (he considered it a work around but not as clear). However, seemed to agree those contracts happen in the Middle East.

It was interesting I felt how there is such certainty around guilt, whereas a sensible conversation tended to find the middle ground that probably points to City not being charged.

It was also felt that clubs where getting very frustrated with Chelsea, so expect some pressure on them especially if they start to perform.

I’m not sure from that where he’s identified any rules being broken

 

[KS55]

Its quite hilarious that you state that i am naive in my supposition that the ic has to come up with ironclad evidence to support their evidence and then state that the pl board is independent.

Lets start with masters who was third choice that was only appointed after being interviewed by the rags and dippers and who was told by a government enquiry that he was out of his depth.

Dharmash mistry who is an arsenal st holder.

There is nothing independent about the pl and never has been and if you think there is ask yourself why the rags covid exceptions were approved without exception and then no more mentioned, also why 4 years into var are 2 clubs STILL allowed to operate without screens in the ground.

The IC and the board are different bodies. This statement is thus nonsense.

 

[Silva61]

Really? The Executive Council of Abu Dhabi?

I am trying to square the circle of the Open Skies document which suggests that ADEC paid City's sponsorship and the statements from the witnesses at CAS that Etihad paid for its sponsorship out of its own funds, by reasoning that that may be true but funds could have come originally from ADEC to Etihad specifically to pay City. So everybody was right.

I am not sure I see the problem with that.

Maybe some dim journo got a little confused between ADEC and ADUG and it snowballed from there.

 

[mancboy]

The IC and the board are different bodies. This statement is thus nonsense.

No it isnt, the supposition was initially that i was naive to believe that the ic was an independent body that had to come with ironclad evidence to support whatever decision they came to and then the poster suggested that the pl board was in fact independent and had no allegiances to any club and therefore must have good reason to bring the charges.

What i was pointing out that if i am naive to suggest that the ic are indeed independent and have to follow legal process it is just as naive to suggest that the executive board of the pl are independent and hold no bias i am aware that the 2 entities are entirely seperate bodies but the point remains.

 

[deano ou812]

Why don’t these clubs focus on putting their own businesses in order instead of obsessing over what City or Chelsea are doing? I think a lot of it is just deflection tactics to cover up for their own incompetence.

Isn’t that what Khaldoon sort of alluded to,we won’t be held accountable for other clubs failings..

 

[MMA]

Why don’t these clubs focus on putting their own businesses in order instead of obsessing over what City or Chelsea are doing? I think a lot of it is just deflection tactics to cover up for their own incompetence.

This is 100% what it's been about for the past 12 or so years.
American owners don't like that we put money back in.
And they want to take it out.
Smear campaign ever since..

 

[Kazzydeyna]

If i was keys id be fuming, gray can see the future and he didnt warn him that hed got caught shagging his daughters mate while his wife was recovering from cancer, some mate that is.

Brilliant.

 

[BamberBridgeBlue]

Andy gray said hes been told were going to get a points deduction that would make it impossible to survive relegation

I’ve been told Kylie Minogue has got the hots for me.

 

[plattlanebenches]

I’ve been told Kylie Minogue has got the hots for me.

Bitch, I’m seeing her tomorrow night.

 

[WillinGlossop]

City will be found the Same as cas result… the media campaign against City is diabolical…. Hopefully City take them all to court…. Keys is one of the first to go…
there are some right raspberries about at the mo… just got a right wobble from a United fan from Croydon…. Literally from Croydon…. What a wet wipe… the media are to blame for this craziness…

 

[Silva61]

Ha the brains trust that is gray, keys and silvestre, if brains were dynamite those 3 couldnt blow their nose between them, everybody has the right to be stupid but those 3 abuse it.

It's fucking frightening how ignorant these 3 pricks are.

 

[Silva61]

I read on here that a PL executive had resigned because 'certain clubs had too much influence'; who was that?

The CEO before Masters, lasted a few weeks I believe.

 

[Superace]

Of course it goes beyond football. We are mostly owned by a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family. We have also come to be sponsored by companies supported by Abu Dhabi such as Etihad, Aldar, Etisalat etc. We aren't state owned no but we are certainly a related party. If we're found guilty of 'cheating' then how does that make Abu Dhabi look purely by association? These guys do not mess about with such accusations let alone actual findings.

I know the Middle Eastern airlines well and they operate exactly the same. They are world class and fantastic but one could easily argue against them on grounds of competition given not a single one of them has ever made a profit. How can an airline that must make a profit compete against one that doesn't care about profit and still puts out a better product? All they care about is having the best airline.

You'd be extremely naive to think that our owner is just willing to have his investments threatened by this and something that may potentially embarass him and Abu Dhabi. He will use every tool he can to ensure this goes his way whether that's through lawyers or political and even international pressure.

I'm not saying that we're guilty of anything by the way. You have to remember that this IS NOT a criminal process, there is no alleged criminality. All we've apparently done is broken rules that the Premer League dreamt up. This is what city will challenge and the guy with the most resources and friends always wins.

A second critical point for the league and any critics is that you'd also have to be EXTREMELY naive to think that the other clubs aren't exactly doing the same thing.

Both Etihad and Emirates airlines make a profit.

 

[inbetween]

In this case we are being charged with breaking PL rules - rules we agreed to adhere to when we “joined” what is a private organisation. Nothing to do with “crime” and they have purposely avoided the use of the word “fraud”

We don’t have to “prove” our innocence - they have to prove we did break their rules. Our KC will be using the “irrefutable evidence” to demonstrate that we haven’t broken their rules.

If we lose - any appeal is to another independent panel.

From what I've read the belief from us is that we haven't broken any rules. We just apparently haven't complied with proving that we haven't broken them therefore by default it is assumed that we have.

A great case in point on this is the European Super League, membership is totally against the rules of UEFA and the involved clubs were supposedly going to be sanctioned.

However, how many clubs have been sanctioned or kicked out of the Champions League? Not a single one and yet the winner of the Champions League last year is the club who's still most involved in it!

Clearly rules can exist and they can charge people however enforcing them is a completely different matter.

 

[inbetween]

Both Etihad and Emirates airlines make a profit.

They do now but that is only based upon what is released. They only started to release their accounts in recent years in response to US pressure on anti-competition grounds, none of them are audited properly.

 

[Silva2021]

I’m not sure from that where he’s identified any rules being broken

No, that’s kind of my point (although not sure I said it well) is that it’s the start point.

As I say it was an interesting conversation with an intelligent person who got it.

Now we make the assumption that the blanks go in our favour (as there are blanks in this none of us know) and he goes the other way.

For me it was just the first conversation I’ve had with someone who felt we where guilty who was knowledgeable and happy to discuss openly.

I had to accept some of his points as well as he accepted some of mine.

Very good chance I won’t see him again until after the verdict and I’m sure we’ll catch up on it.

It just felt strange, not having 115 being said or paying Haaland of the books, or the usual uneducated tripe.

 

[CC1]

From what I've read the belief from us is that we haven't broken any rules. We just apparently haven't complied with proving that we haven't broken them therefore by default it is assumed that we have.

A great case in point on this is the European Super League, membership is totally against the rules of UEFA and the involved clubs were supposedly going to be sanctioned.

However, how many clubs have been sanctioned or kicked out of the Champions League? Not a single one and yet the winner of the Champions League last year is the club who's still most involved in it!

Clearly rules can exist and they can charge people however enforcing them is a completely different matter.

Yep. It’s all a set up to stop us - because the red tops can’t stop us on the pitch. Other European leagues must be looking on in disbelief about the damage the PL are doing to their own “product”

 

[HelloCity]

No, that’s kind of my point (although not sure I said it well) is that it’s the start point.

As I say it was an interesting conversation with an intelligent person who got it.

Now we make the assumption that the blanks go in our favour (as there are blanks in this none of us know) and he goes the other way.

For me it was just the first conversation I’ve had with someone who felt we where guilty who was knowledgeable and happy to discuss openly.

I had to accept some of his points as well as he accepted some of mine.

Very good chance I won’t see him again until after the verdict and I’m sure we’ll catch up on it.

It just felt strange, not having 115 being said or paying Haaland of the books, or the usual uneducated tripe.

Should have asked him what the evidence was for him to have those views.

 

[Blue warrior]

When we going York again?!