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

[Exeter Blue I am here]

I suspect one of the poits City may make is that Bayern, Juventus and PSG don't even bother trying to conceal the paper trail because they know FFP is intentionally aimed solely at City. CAS may rule that the treatment meted out to City is neither fair nor equitable but on the other hand it could argue that it is up to UEFA to investigate other cases and take the appropriate action! In any event I don't think CAS will be the end of the matter because City may feel that while FFP is in place in any shape or form the club will have no peace.

I too think that whatever the outcome at CAS, City will go after UEFA in Court. No guarantee of victory of course, plus the negative publicity we’ll get from our dear friends in the media will be off the scale, but hopefully by then UEFA might be willing to seek a compromise settlement. The stumbling block is the fuckers pulling UEFA’s strings

 

[BlueMoonz1977]

I hope the club at the highest levels know Peps plans and intentions. I think you are right - no one including Pep will want next year to be a limbo / transition season. I think Pep needs to commit (if only in private) to completing another 3 years and then we can amend and rebuild this squad to get back to the levels we saw last year and the year before. Up until recently I thought we only needed minor surgery but recent performances suggest there a few fundamentals wrong with this squad that need addressing and a few players seem like they are washed up by the intensity of working with Pep and may need to seek pastures new. Either way I think it’ll be a traumatic summer.

That could well be true, it would get even more unsettling around Pep and what decision he could make, should we win the CL this season (that's a big IF in regards to winning though)

I am sure that it was said by an ex-player of Pep's that the intensity he demands from players can only go on so long and cannot be replicated every season - the evidence going of our form this season would show that to be true

Summer is going to be huge. I just hope Pep does stay to not rebuild (as that is too harsh) but refresh the squad with what will be needed

 

[Colin Bells Boots]

I too think that whatever the outcome at CAS, City will go after UEFA in Court. No guarantee of victory of course, plus the negative publicity we’ll get from our dear friends in the media will be off the scale, but hopefully by then UEFA might be willing to seek a compromise settlement. The stumbling block is the fuckers pulling UEFA’s strings

There must be shit out there on the " inner sanctuary twats " to be exploited surely?

 

[RayCTID]

It isn't but someone has to prove the existence of a cartel before action can be taken. This may not be as difficult as may be thought. Usually to prove an individual guilty of a crime proof has to be presented that their motivation was to commit that offence. Such a burden of proof is not present in the case of a cartel. For the existence of a cartel it is sufficient to show that the actions of a group amount to the actions of a cartel. Now what have UEFA and the chaps of the cartel done that might lead us to believe they actually are a cartel?!!!

The hastily FFP ruling they had put in the first place and the lax application they had used for certain clubs during that period.

 

[Kazzydeyna]

I agree.

I think you are right.We will fight this all the way.Our owners believe we have done no wrong and are being victimized by the Cartel (we are)

My point though is.No matter what happens in the long run we can turn it to our advantage.

I love Pep for the success he has delivered us.

But i am not going to lie.If he is going in 12 months no matter what.Then based on our recent transfer signings, the thought of him spending a huge transfer budget the end of this Season that could make or break us,fills me with dread.

I think it would be best for the Club if we amicably parted ways.Obviously the Champions League Ban will have a bearing on our future plans.

I get your point but I don't agree.

He could have used this as a way to walk away, head held high. Nobody would really have blamed him.

Instead he publicly declared his loyalty to the cause, putting the shit-stirring journos on notice he was staying "no matter what".

That is loyalty. That is sticking by the club in times of need.

I'd let him stay until he wants to leave. He went up so high in my estimation the other week.

 

[SilverFox2]

Yes good luck with the debt bit.

Good point.

No doubt they would argue some clubs can service debt so why cannot some clubs service investment?

 

[Colin Bells Boots]

I too think that whatever the outcome at CAS, City will go after UEFA in Court. No guarantee of victory of course, plus the negative publicity we’ll get from our dear friends in the media will be off the scale, but hopefully by then UEFA might be willing to seek a compromise settlement. The stumbling block is the fuckers pulling UEFA’s strings

Not a lot to lose regarding " negative publicity " from our wonderful media , so shit or bust for me.

Drag the whole corrupt edifice down !

 

[Plain Speaking]

7.45pm on March 17.

It's an 8pm kick off for the Real Madrid home game ;-)

 

[BluessinceHydeRoad]

Good point.

No doubt they would argue some clubs can service debt so why cannot some clubs service investment?

UEFA/Platini dropped attempts to tackle debt because a group of clubs threatened legal action because debt is an accepted way of financing investment, which is correct as Spurs and Arsenal have shown by financing new stadia through long term loans. Where UEFA embarrassed themselves and blew both feet off was by caving into the same group's proposals to limit spending on players and shareholders right to finance this spending, which is also an accepted way of securing investment. Oh and,of course, this group of clubs threatened to break away if they didn't get their way. Not the strongest of cases in court.

 

[nmc]

UEFA/Platini dropped attempts to tackle debt because a group of clubs threatened legal action because debt is an accepted way of financing investment, which is correct as Spurs and Arsenal have shown by financing new stadia through long term loans. Where UEFA embarrassed themselves and blew both feet off was by caving into the same group's proposals to limit spending on players and shareholders right to finance this spending, which is also an accepted way of securing investment. Oh and,of course, this group of clubs threatened to break away if they didn't get their way. Not the strongest of cases in court.

The problem of course is that all clubs that go bust do so by borrowing to fund investment. Portsmouth and Leeds both borrowed heavily to buy players - it all went wrong when they couldn’t afford the repayments. The tinkering with FFP by the “old guard” to suit there own agendas rendered it as largely useless in the protection of football finances. FFP is nothing more than a protection racket for a cartel and I’m sure any court case that followed its evolution and its application of the twisted rules would not be able to conclude anything other than it being a restriction of trade. You’d only need to call Napoleon as a witness to prove the case.