Media Thread - 2021/22

[Bournemouth Blue]

Funny how these articles always appear at key moments of the season

 

[argyle]

Arguably these organisations want City to do that - it simply provides them with further ammunition along the lines of 'shutting down scrutiny' and 'censoring the free press'

AD/Sheikh Mansour won't engage, I'd expect they're fully aware of how it's viewed but are pragmatic enough to realise it's small fry in terms of the global view. Club now has millions of fans across the world and AD/SM far larger issues.

Taking them to court because of misreporting, spinning the truth or lying isn't censoring or shutting down scrutiny.

It essentially means so called journalists can say whatever they like about City and damage the clubs reputation at will.

 

[Metalartin]

I'm pretty sure I saw some emails from 2010 used in their supposed evidence document. Surely they can't be trying to go back that far? We all know FFP has only been in place since 2011 and I thought most of these claims were based on emails from 2012 onwards.

Their arguments are weird anyway, it's hard to tell what they really believe at times. On one hand they are saying City are a sportswashing project for the whole of the UAE(not just Abu Dhabi?). So the suggestion is City are essentially state owned. On the other hand, they insist on suggesting Sheikh Mansour, the private owner of Manchester City, was paying the sponsorships himself. Aren't those accusations at odds a little bit?

They do claim to know what the PL investigation is about, although they did call them the English Football League:

Spoiler

Already, the English football league has spent years investigating Manchester City, largely out of the public eye. According to information obtained by DER SPIEGEL, that investigation is focusing on three primary allegations.

1. Underage players were allegedly pressured to sign contracts with Manchester City through monetary payments, in violation of the rules.
2. Club sponsors in Abu Dhabi are suspected of having provided only a portion of their payments to the club themselves, with the majority apparently coming from Sheikh Mansour himself.
3. Roberto Mancini, who is currently the trainer for the Italian national team but who spent the years from 2009 to 2013 as the trainer for ManCity, is thought to have received a significant portion of his compensation secretly by way of a fictitious consultancy contract.

Even the title is a little bit weird when you think about it: "Sponsorship Money - Paid For by the State". Yes some of it was(technically even their revenues/profits are still state money), which is not against the rules. That was the point some City fans were making, why it wasn't disguised owner investment after all.

I don't think many(if any) of the UAE related deals are disclosed as related party but they are all openly owned by one of the wealthiest states in the world. Do they not think Abu Dhabi can afford to meet whatever commitments those organisations have agreed to, in sponsorship obligations? Or are they saying it's wrong that they do secure that money from the many available state funds, if need be? They own those companies(publicly available information), that's what owners are supposed to do when their company needs funds.

The UAE is a very wealthy country but Abu Dhabi on it's own has numerous sovereign wealth funds in the top 20 biggest sovereign wealth funds in the world. Notably, the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority rank 4th and Mubadala rank 13th highest(surprised to see Norway at the top of that list). They would fund their own companies and meet their obligations easily enough, without Sheikh Mansour's help.

 

[Ajm1985]

It's privately owned whichever way they spin it.


What?

I love that - Khaldoon is the de facto PM with Mansour as his deputy

 

[Asa's left peg]

Yaaaawn. It's that time of the year again!

Waters wet, Liverpool are worthy champions (but not actually), Tears are salty and Peps off (seen that one again).

 

[Damanino]

I cant wait for the summer transfer window and Newcastle splashing the cash and hopefully they quickly will fight for top4.:)

That will make the whatsup group really shaking and sweating while sitting in their own piss.

 

[Cityfan1977]

In case you missed it City did do something about when they went to CAS, perhaps you should read the judgment to see that all accusations were thrown out, except non cooperation with UEFA for which we were fined.

Who do you want City to sue, every pretend journalist on Twitter or everyone who reprints this nonsense for clicks, we could apply for the internet to be shit down? Or spend millions on constant litigation?

I will forward your suggestion to City and tell them rather strongly @Cityfan1977 is getting upset and his panties in a right twist unless they make it stop right now!

I tell you what I want , I want stories about Liverpool, United leaking to the media, bad stories because if there is anything Liverpool fc dont want that is bad stories. If they can find something in our closet we can also find something in theres. I bet you my house that everyone has something they dont want out in the open. And I am 100% sure that Liverpool is one of the main force behind this.......

 

[bluealf]

I tell you what I want , I want stories about Liverpool, United leaking to the media, bad stories because if there is anything Liverpool fc dont want that is bad stories. If they can find something in our closet we can also find something in theres. I bet you my house that everyone has something they dont want out in the open. And I am 100% sure that Liverpool is one of the main force behind this.......

We all know the skeletons in their closets, as do the press, they choose not to run with them for a reason, it is called not upsetting the applecart and the fact the vast majority of them are red cunts of either persuasion, htf do you still not know this?

 

[Inter Me Nan]

This is how I imagine the convo went down...

Cool Hand Khaldoon: What is thy bidding my master?

Sheikh Mansour: Send the funds to finance to pay for Haaland, there it will remain till the piss is boiled.

Cool Hand Khaldoon: What of the new Der Spiegel report?

Sheikh Mansour: It is of no concern, soon the rebellion will be crushed and young Haaland will be one of us. Your work here is finished my friend, go and get me a chip muffin.

Cool Hand Khaldoon: Yes my master.

 

[TFC]

Its priceless how the muck starts flying in the weeks of our big games. Pep's off to manage Brazil, FFP bollocks, brilliant, transparently embarrassing stuff.