Prestwich_Blue said:
You're getting two things mixed up here. City felt they had a good case to take the decision to CAS on the grounds that there had been an abuse of process over the way UEFA changed their rules after the event, which meant we failed one of the key tests needed to be able to use the pre-2010 player wage exemption. That wouldn't be a challenge to FFP but to the way the assessment was applied. A full challenge to FFP could take years to go through the European justice system so would have had no impact in the short term.
But they had to balance a number of considerations in thinking about that, including how it would affect our image and brand among other things and what the consequences of challenging UEFA would have meant in other ways. I have it on very good authority that this was carefully thought through and the threat of action may have been used to our advantage in agreeing a settlement. I can also assure you that Sheikh Mansour and Khaldoon al-Mubarak are not people you double-cross with impunity and currently they feel they have been betrayed. That will not pass without a reaction and there will be consequences collectively and individually. Watch this space.
Poppycock.
You're suggesting that City never fancied the big fight, and the small fight (over interpretation / assessment) simply wasn't worth the hassle in the end.
The considerations about the big fight would have been ongoing since we were notified on FFP being on the horizon. So if we chose not to fight that battle, fair enough, but it would have been decided some time ago.
The 'considerations' that City had to balance have always been there. IF we had to battle with UEFA, how would what affect our image, the views on the sponsors, the fans etc etc. That's been the case for the last 4 or 5 years, not the last few months, and therefore surely there was a strategy already at hand for whatever eventuality transpired with UEFA.
But this 'don't mess with the Sheik' claim sounds great... but it's not right. This isn't The Godfather! There is no fight to be had, that's why we're not fighting. He's not going to get his revenge in some grand way. The club will ride out the fairly minimal punishment, and then comply. Effectively we've club onto the drawbridge being raised and managed to scramble in before it's closed, And that's mission accomplished for this stage of City's plan.
Nobody with an ounce of sense would believe we've been betrayed by UEFA. The whole world knew they weren't keen on the likes of us and PSG!
I don't see that as betrayal... it's just highly predictable from UEFA.
Maybe you're right though. The Sheik is deeply upset by UEFA's betrayal. We'll see. But I'd not hold my breath for some amazing showdown. There's no reason for it. Our passage into the Euro Elite is virtually done, all UEFA did was delay us in customs.
