PL charge City for alleged breaches of financial rules

[ayrshire_blue]

That’s fine, it’s all a game of opinions at the end of the day.

Ultimately though, the club say they have ‘irrefutable evidence’ that the charges are bollocks. To see this evidence is to kill the case stone dead, there is that little ambiguity.

That then only leaves two scenarios.

1. The club have this evidence, have decided under legal advice to not engage with the investigation (very likely to avoid falling foul of a fishing expedition) and accept non-compliance charges that will result in a hefty fine

2. The club have provided all of this evidence, the PL and some of the UKs top legal minds, people who pick and choose their cases, have seen this evidence and still plowed ahead in a case of such corporate negligence it makes Gerald Rayner look a visionary, and thrown in non-compliance charges for a laugh also.

My point was a simple one - a poster said if City are found not guilty of all charges they should ‘sue everyone’, but unless it’s a case of scenario 2 above, it’s simply not possible, and if it’s scenario 2 at the end of the day, the PL executives and KC’s who saw ‘irrefutable evidence’ and pushed on would have being sued way down their list of concerns.


Also fine, but whilst it would be absolutely hilarious if all the PL have is the UEFA case that they want to retry, it stretches extremely thin the concept of plausibility that some of the UKs top KCs would be willing to put their reputations and their chambers’ reputations on the line to try that case again, especially with the weightiest allegations having already been found unsubstantiated by CAS. These guys earn millions of pounds a year and pick and choose their cases, they’re not taking this case for money or because they’re secretly Arsenal/Liverpool/United fans.

In that scenario, any KC worth their salt would be advising the club to ‘take a pinch’ if it were offered as some of the Walter Mittys would have you believe the PL have been desperate for. It’s not just SM who can make decisions anymore either, there are important shareholders with a lot of money on the line, it would be negligence of the highest order to refuse a settlement if offered no matter how confident you are.

If in 18 months time the ruling comes out and it turns out the PL had nothing more than the UEFA case, ran with it anywhere and got torn apart at the tribunal, I’ll be on here celebrating with you, trying to avoid a double hernia from laughing so hard, but for the reasons above, I just don’t see any plausible scenario that the PL and KCs would be that reckless, even with the pressure other clubs and an incoming independent regulator no doubt put them under.

In this case, I'd like to hope it's option 1 then. Well, either if they work out entirely as you describe, but what you detail in option 2 just sounds like a completely unlikely scenario. It'd be better to hope that the PL sincerely think they have the evidence to substantiate the allegations but what City have until this point withheld is stronger or at least strong enough to cast doubt.

 

[argyle]

When City beat the PL and win the case, I hope the first thing they do is go after Simon Jordan. After him in no particular order, the social media click bait hacks, we know who they are, and the media companies and tabloids like Sly Sports News, Talk Shite, the Daily United, etc. I also hope what Khaldoon has, that he‘s alluded to, is made public. I hope it involves Liverpool, United, Arsenal, Spurs, etc.

City will not be going after anybody. It's wishful thinking.

Anybody/media site that goes close or over the line for libel/slander will be spoken to by our media/legal department.

The club will defend itself to the best of it's ability with the best legal team and that will be that.

 

[argyle]

the rumours are we have mountains of evidence on our rivals misdeeds if you think we won’t release that if we are treated unfairly then your naive

Don't believe fan rumours.

 

[Silva2021]

In my opinion the audited accounts are the irrefutable proof, the contracts and all signed off by auditors etc.

We are highlighting this as our evidence and that it is irrefutable.

Now you show us where it is not if that is what you are claiming.

Burden of proof on them.

 

[Gordyola]

I believe we went to court to try and keep the charges out of the media and for everything to take place behind closed doors, only to be revealed after the case had been concluded.

Seems fair enough to me, just imagine a situation where were were charged with 115 breaches and it was just thrown out to the media without them having any understanding of the charges. Opposition fans, the media and red tops would have us guilty before the case had ever been heard :)

City applied to HC for an injunction that the PL didn’t have the right to ask for financial information which they believed was company confidential and would be valuable to rivals The HC judge denied the injunction and also ordered that the decision could be made public. City appealed and were supported by PL against the judgement being made public which they lost The judge at the appeal said that the PL need to get on with as City had won numerous PL titles whilst the investigation was continuing

 

[KS55]

There are thousands and thousands of documents to review and many people to interview.

Normally you would expect a regulator to have at least the basic evidence BEFORE formulating charges. But the PL rushed into this, panicked by the prospect of an independent regulator. Hence they just issued the barely formulated charge sheet (witness the numerous errors) consisting of all the potential items they were considering. Since then they have been collecting evidence and witnesses and are still missing plenty. Hence the delay. Next, they will have to tell City the details that have not yet been forthcoming and the club needs time to assemble the refutation.

 

[Bald fraud]

Panic!!

Hmmm. Not too sure I like the sound of that

 

[Blue_Lightsaber]

Panic!!

Always remember when we're facing the red and white cartel (rags gooners dippers & spurs) in a legal battle:

 

[wolviedinho]

Hmmm. Not too sure I like the sound of that

Why? Pep leaving this season or in 25 or in 30 won’t have any impact on the tribunal.

Some journo has just put up his current departure date with the case estimated time of completion.

Unless you are saying Pep knew when the case would be decided and only signed a contract for that specific length of time? Can’t see it tbh.

 

[KS55]

That’s fine, it’s all a game of opinions at the end of the day.

Ultimately though, the club say they have ‘irrefutable evidence’ that the charges are bollocks. To see this evidence is to kill the case stone dead, there is that little ambiguity.

That then only leaves two scenarios.

1. The club have this evidence, have decided under legal advice to not engage with the investigation (very likely to avoid falling foul of a fishing expedition) and accept non-compliance charges that will result in a hefty fine

2. The club have provided all of this evidence, the PL and some of the UKs top legal minds, people who pick and choose their cases, have seen this evidence and still plowed ahead in a case of such corporate negligence it makes Gerald Rayner look a visionary, and thrown in non-compliance charges for a laugh also.

My point was a simple one - a poster said if City are found not guilty of all charges they should ‘sue everyone’, but unless it’s a case of scenario 2 above, it’s simply not possible, and if it’s scenario 2 at the end of the day, the PL executives and KC’s who saw ‘irrefutable evidence’ and pushed on would have being sued way down their list of concerns.


Also fine, but whilst it would be absolutely hilarious if all the PL have is the UEFA case that they want to retry, it stretches extremely thin the concept of plausibility that some of the UKs top KCs would be willing to put their reputations and their chambers’ reputations on the line to try that case again, especially with the weightiest allegations having already been found unsubstantiated by CAS. These guys earn millions of pounds a year and pick and choose their cases, they’re not taking this case for money or because they’re secretly Arsenal/Liverpool/United fans.

In that scenario, any KC worth their salt would be advising the club to ‘take a pinch’ if it were offered as some of the Walter Mittys would have you believe the PL have been desperate for. It’s not just SM who can make decisions anymore either, there are important shareholders with a lot of money on the line, it would be negligence of the highest order to refuse a settlement if offered no matter how confident you are.

If in 18 months time the ruling comes out and it turns out the PL had nothing more than the UEFA case, ran with it anywhere and got torn apart at the tribunal, I’ll be on here celebrating with you, trying to avoid a double hernia from laughing so hard, but for the reasons above, I just don’t see any plausible scenario that the PL and KCs would be that reckless, even with the pressure other clubs and an incoming independent regulator no doubt put them under.

We were offered a settlement by Ceferin before the UEFA case and we refused.
Not convinced we would take one this time either, whatever the legal advice. It feels like Khaldoon has dug his heels in.
“They will not pass.”
You keep making a basic error: it is not wise or even possible for City to lay down its evidence in advance of the PL formulating their case which it seems they have not yet done so. There is no such thing as an open and shut case.