PL charge City for alleged breaches of financial rules

[kevlardog]

Amazingly UEFA did exactly that, and after the Leicester debacle never underestimate their stupidity.

Oh, I still think City can win this. I think it's closer to 60-40 instead of the certainty some show here.

 

[halfcenturyup]

I actually am not as optimistic as most people here. I think we'll got done for some but not all charges. And I'm not referring to non-cooperation. I find it incredibly unlikely that they've dragged this on for as long as they have, and without dropping any charges, to not have high confidence some things will stick.

Possibly. What do you base that on? Just a feeling?

In my view, they have no chance of making the most serious allegations (funding of sponsorships and filing incorrect accounts) stick simply because, like UEFA, they won't have access to the evidence necessary to prove it whereas the club will have access to reams of counter-evidence to disprove it.

So what is left? The rest of the "financial" allegations are all old allegations, as far as we know, and will be time limited unless the PL can show fraud or deliberate concealment. Not easy. There are plenty of counter arguments for Mancini and Fordham. But, tbf, we don't know enough about Fordham and Toure to conclude, really. There may be terms in Fordham that affect the club's results. Toure may be the PL's best chance, but again it's difficult to assess without more information and the club so far generally seems to have had good arguments to support anything that has happened. And let's not forget the club made a very strong statement when the allegations were announced and have, apparently, turned down the offer of a settlement. So they must be confident.

Finally, I am not so sure non-cooperation is as easy to prove as some might think and the rest (PL FFP and UEFA licensing) fall away if the serious charges aren't proven, I think.

Disagree with any of that?

 

[eastmanc]

First mistake was being friendrg with scousers?

Scouse friends?

 

[Blue Mist]

Re the Mancini Al Jazira contract, the PL will need to prove that Mansour/City were paying him directly. How would they be able to do that? They have no jurisdiction to access private bank records in the UAE, even the UK government wouldn't be able to do that. And Mancini is hardly going to admit to it as he would then have to pay UK tax on the earnings.

It's the same for our owner funding sponsorship from UAE companies, it is up to the PL to prove the allegations not for City to prove they aren't true. I honestly don't see how the PL can gather enough evidence to prove that beyond reasonable doubt.

The way to prove it would be to ask him. He might just have said, straight out, 'yep it was to hide the payment'. City would be goosed. I can't believe how unprofessional the investigation was conducted. Any half decent investigation starts with asking the person concerned. That is why I have said they are not interested in whether we are guilty or not, it was done purely to tarnish our reputation, diminish our success and get rival fans against us.
It was done because the red shirts demanded it for the same reasons

 

[eastmanc]

The way to prove it would be to ask him. He might just have said, straight out, 'yep it was to hide the payment'. City would be goosed. I can't believe how unprofessional the investigation was conducted. Any half decent investigation starts with asking the person concerned. That is why I have said they are not interested in whether we are guilty or not, it was done purely to tarnish our reputation, diminish our success and get rival fans against us.
Itcwas done because the red shirts demanded it fir the same reasons

Didn't Mancini say that it was all above board and he had paid his tax on the payments.

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

I actually am not as optimistic as most people here. I think we'll got done for some but not all charges. And I'm not referring to non-cooperation. I find it incredibly unlikely that they've dragged this on for as long as they have, and without dropping any charges, to not have high confidence some things will stick.

Great first post, mate. You’ll really brighten things up round here.

 

[WRicko]

I disagree.

Imagine writing how clubs have conspired, clubs lobbying & even embedded in organisations to try & stop City & yet just like on the field they’ve failed. It’s sensational the way they’ve used rules & regulations & Citys execs tiki taka’d around them all.

There is an absolute thriller to be written & would get millions of clicks. Fucking hell you can get media print giving 2 sides to Israel / Palestine but not 1 has backed City….. it’s ludicrous!!

I hope your right bit this scenario requires stuff to come out into the open from city or the panel showing the Prem in a bad way I don’t think that will happen tho Khaldoon said they would say more we have to work with the Prem so I expect just city cleared not much more if cleared maybe a few chances saying we could possibly be not guilty

 

[Holcombe bloo]

And Dineage only had to see things close up for a matter of days before deciding it wasn’t for her.

Would be great if Martin Samuel interviewed her

 

[halfcenturyup]

I hope your right bit this scenario requires stuff to come out into the open from city or the panel showing the Prem in a bad way I don’t think that will happen tho Khaldoon said they would say more we have to work with the Prem so I expect just city cleared not much more if cleared maybe a few chances saying we could possibly be not guilty

Meh. I could write it now based on "executives of PL clubs have told me", "an ex-coach of a rival club said", " insiders have indicated", "senior sports lawyers are of the opinion" and the like. You are overestimating how much in the press is informed and how much is purely speculative.

 

[Holcombe bloo]

My kingdom for one media outlet/personality to have the bollocks to ask what happens if we're innocent

Where abouts is the kingdom, how many servants and can you hunt deer and pheasant on it ?