PL charge City for alleged breaches of financial rules

[Keeper!]

Not quite. He was manager in 2011/12 and the following season, the first two under FFP.

But this isn't about FFP. It's about 'hiding' some of his remuneration using this Al Jazira consultancy contract. I suspect they're saying that we should have paid him that £1.5m through our accounts, so have understated our expenses.

But that amount makes sod all difference. If it had been £10m then that's probably something to worry about but not £1.5m. It's just not material.

Exactly are your going to risk a billion dollar investment for a couple of million quid?

I am simply not accepting that, the Etihad deal is iffy but again UEFA and CAS as soon as the big boys in Abu Dhabi got involved backed off very, very quickly.

If we are found guilty the implications of serious criminal fraud are enormous, and basically Abu Dhabi will be in the dock of the highest courts in England, that's one hell of a situation the PL puts itself in and the implications not just for the PL but the UK would be enormous.

 

[paulchapo]

Your "can we go after the PL for lost sleep" comments made it to the Guardian football podcast. Only in passing but always funny to realise journalists are reading the forum.

Hello Kieran Maguire if you're reading still.




And I know Nick Harris is always lurking.

Of course journalists will lurk in here, most are too lazy and stupid to do their own work so will grab snippets from here.

It's not that far fetched that fans could have a case depending on how this unfolds. If you're a paid up member/season ticket holder spending thousands for that privilege and the club you are a member of is constantly having it's honesty and reputation questioned, it can have a detrimental effect on fan's mental health. Football fans are emotionally involved, clubs are like family and for some with no family they are family.

If the unthinkable happened and we were found guilty with cast iron proof then I have no doubt our club would be open to being sued by any paying customers in that period for being hoodwinked. I'm not saying people would do it but I'm sure there would be a case to be had.

Hopefully we win.

 

[D'Silva]

The club shouldn't have pulled out of the ESL. They should have let this league to fail because that's what they deserve.

 

[citymad]

Appreciate everyone has different views on this. I know some of our fans would be disgusted if the accusations were proven. I know that the majority don’t think we have broken any rules and I know some won’t ever believe that even if we get found guilty.

Personally do not give a fuck if we have cooked the books and looked for as many loopholes as possible over the years to enable the owners to invest their own money in making us a competitive club. Everyone knows the rules were introduced and advocated for by the elite clubs to try to stop City and prevent another power club developing in England and same for Europe with PSG and City. Having to try and disguise our owners investment is a result of bullshit anti competition rules, it’s not like match fixing or cheating in a sporting sense. Why should the rags and scousers be the clubs with access to the biggest budget for transfers and wages every single season forever? How does a mid - lower table team ever get a right to challenge and then if they somehow did (Leicester) how would they ever stay at the top?

I find it very unlikely we haven’t flouted some rules to some extent when looking at our revenue and expenditure each year - what that looks like and whether that constitutes the seriousness of accusations is a different matter. I also find it unlikely that other clubs haven’t done this to some extent.

What I would care about is us getting caught. Absolutely careless if it transpires those Der Spiegel emails ended up showing the PL the trail to follow. Why were they ever sent from club email accounts etc.

If guilty it would never tarnish what we have achieved in my eyes - we’d never have achieved any success if we hadn’t found ways for our owners to invest their money but it would always be used against us and would tarnish the Guardiola City era in the eyes of the wider footballing world when it should be remembered as one of if not the greatest premier league side. Additionally, if guilty and kicked out the league I fear the existing FFP / investment rules would no doubt be amended to prevent us from ever climbing all the way back to the very top and competing for the league / CL.

Fingers crossed our lawyers do their job and we can stick 2 fingers up to the rest of the league who are so fucking desperate for our demise.

What a great post. Agree 100%.

 

[KS55]

Pannick is on £5K an hour, which equates to £400K a week apparently (gutter press figures) - the 'article' these figures are lifted to was banging on about how he earns more than KDB per week.

I read that in three months, Sept to Nov last year, he earned £500k. on one case alone.

 

[blue b4 the moon]

Imagine if an ec-boot cleaner was the leak.

I don't gurn and I certainly don't grass.
You best retract that unfounded statement or my lawyer will be on the phone,when I can pull together the 80000 grand fee.

Nothing to see here....this editing stuff is a doddle.

 

[cheekybids]

How do you get fans onside with a European super league....you make them lose faith with the PL.

If City beat the PL's bizarre case there will be a lot of fans from powerful clubs in England upset at the PL and the European Super League is born.

I do think there is more to this than meets the eye, the burden of proof on the PL is huge unless they have an ace up their sleeve such as an insider witness.

Worked with UEFA, make them press charges under duress whilst you are trying to destroy their competition.

 

[mexico1970]

Fans deserve everything they get if they don't fight their corner. If City are ended then so be it because we shouldn't want to be just a part of a machine making money for rich influential people.

Sit down and shut the fuck up has never been more apt.

 

[GRB]

All quiet in the news today… has someone had a word?

 

[halfcenturyup]

Not quite. He was manager in 2011/12 and the following season, the first two under FFP.

But this isn't about FFP. It's about 'hiding' some of his remuneration using this Al Jazira consultancy contract. I suspect they're saying that we should have paid him that £1.5m through our accounts, so have understated our expenses.

But that amount makes sod all difference. If it had been £10m then that's probably something to worry about but not £1.5m. It's just not material.

Not sure of all the PL rules for each year PB, but I am sure you are looking into it. 2011/12 was the UEFA FFP, right? Was the PL FFP introduced at the same time? And did they really have a requirement at that time that all a manager's remuneration should be i) included in the accounts, which would seem a strange requirement, or ii) be disclosed?

It seems like something they would have included specifically after they found out about Mancini's other contract .... rather than something they would have thought about at the very beginning?