PL charge City for alleged breaches of financial rules

[Jogon 127]

but they are without doubt a sustainably run club. They're also £1bn in debt

Haha so they’re not a ‘sustainably run club’

Serviceable debt is fine and sustainable, par for the course even for those c#nts

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

Agreed. This is the way, imho, for club sustainability.

But FFP, now FFS, is more than that, as we know.

Yep. It’s really not especially difficult to determine that the parameters of FFP were laid out to screw venture investment (City) that would book net income losses while allowing thin debt service coverage at private LBOs (Utd). It’s patently obvious sustainability had nothing to do with it and patently obvious that successful “old economy” clubs didn’t want venture-backed “start-ups” competing with them.

Having no familiarity with UK/European law nor anti-trust/anti-competitive behavio(u)r definitions nor remedies over there, I don’t presume to think that City would or could go to court to recover economic losses from such a system. But if we lose, and particularly if we lose a lot, I hope we can and do.

 

[Manc123]

So premier League clubs thought the issue would be resolved by the summer.

Everyday it becomes clearer and clear. If the premier League clubs think were guilty wouldn't they want a fair due process for the PL. Yet it seems to me they want it rushed through. I wonder why (transfer targets, top 4) its becoming clearer to me everytime these journos talk that it's a witch hunt

 

[halfcenturyup]

Yep. It’s really not especially difficult to determine that the parameters of FFP were laid out to screw venture investment (City) that would book net income losses while allowing thin debt service coverage at private LBOs (Utd). It’s patently obvious sustainability had nothing to do with it and patently obvious that successful “old economy” clubs didn’t want venture-backed “start-ups” competing with them.

Having no familiarity with UK/European law nor anti-trust/anti-competitive behavio(u)r definitions nor remedies over there, I don’t presume to think that City would or could go to court to recover economic losses from such a system. But if we lose, and particularly if we lose a lot, I hope we can and do.

This. It's all that cesm Platini's fault. If he had had the balls to confront the big clubs over their ESL threats 15 years ago, then we would all be in a much better position now.

 

[Silva61]

That’s because it is Libel. Anything recorded on screen or on radio is libel. Easiest way to think of it is If it can be played back it is libel. Being spoken is not the only requirement for slander.

By naming the naughty nine we must have some real shit on them or surely that's a case for libel.

 

[Innsbruckblue]

That’s because it is Libel. Anything recorded on screen or on radio is libel. Easiest way to think of it is If it can be played back it is libel. Being spoken is not the only requirement for slander.

Did Pep publish it himself or did anyone connected with City? If not, and I believe this is what happened, they recorded and published it and are trying to claim libel when what Pep did was slander (spoken defamation of character?). Pep wrote nothing and published nothing.

 

[Shads]

By naming the naughty nine we must have some real shit on them or surely that's a case for libel.

Not at all. If it’s true then no libel. He only ever said that they wrote a letter to UEFA before we had the result. It’s true they did… the cunts…

 

[Silva&Silva]

Haven't been this buzzing for a game since the last time we played Villa at home. Hopefully we can put all the off field bullshit aside and get behind the lads. Pep's pressers and the bus welcoming should be the perfect precursors to a confident/resounding win.

Up the siege mentality blues!

 

[Shads]

I haven't read it all, but the PL has backed itself into a very dangerous corner in my opinion. Bearing in mind that City are now just part of a huge football organisation with almost limitless backing that on it's own makes the PL look like a Sunday League committee, what exactly are they going to prove?

This is a case of slinging enough crap to hope that some of it sticks. I'm damned sure that City are not going to offer them any potentially incriminating documents, so all that leaves them with is "failing to co-operate in accordance with the rules".

That on it's own isn't the greatest ever crime, and they can't do an awful lot with that except give us a large fine, possible transfer embargo, and points deduction. The EFL doesn't particularly want us because that means someone else will have to miss out, probably through losing a promotion place for the season, and EFL clubs probably won't either because it means we'll be odds on for promotion - nobody will want to play us even if half the squad leave, and nobody will want to finish a place lower than they otherwise would have - especially if that place is the top spot.

If they want to hit us hard then it might be something like a 60-point deduction next (or whichever) season, meaning we would have a real fight to stay up and avoid natural relegation, but that would likely be considered excessive for what was technically a minor misdemeanour.

They also don't want to put themselves in a position where the club might be in real trouble and put hundreds of jobs at risk. They can't be seen as the big bad wolf at the end of it. And if they come down too hard, there might be a few other clubs who start looking over their shoulder. They can't be seen to be trying to destroy the club, and they have already shown themselves in a bad light in the opinion of many professional football and legal people for taking it this far - don't read too much into the media hysteria and the opinion of other fans, they are just along for the ride.

This is a long shot, but if, for example, they wanted to put City in the 2nd division then the EU Super League then starts to look very tempting. And if the likes of Barca, RM and co get it together, others WILL follow regardless of what the fans think. Most major clubs now get the majority of their revenue from commercial operations, and half the fans at the top clubs are "tourist" fans now. They're the ones with the money, and that's what it's all about at the end of the day. People like Boehly - as bent as they come (how do you win a copyright court case against Land Rover for the blatant copy of their Defender vehicle when you're odds-on to lose it?) - will go where the money goes and if that means to the ESL then that's where they'll go, with the rags and everybody else creeping behind. You think Chelsea v Brentford, United v Bournemouth, City v Barcelona etc. every week makes good reading for them? Neither will they, and neither will the PL because their very existence will depend on it not happening.

Guilty or not, there's only so much the PL can do. And it's not much in the greater scheme of things. Now lets go and really piss them all off by winning the title again.

We are not guilty, we will be successful in beating the charges and there will therefore be no punishment for anything. Not even for failing to cooperate in my opinion.

 

[Shads]

Did Pep publish it himself or did anyone connected with City? If not, and I believe this is what happened, they recorded and published it and are trying to claim libel when what Pep did was slander (spoken defamation of character?). Pep wrote nothing and published nothing.

I think you misunderstood. I was Not in any way suggesting that Pep had said anything libelous. I was Simply correcting the suggestion that it should be called slander because it was spoken. In any event the guaranteed defense to both libel and slander is truth. Pep spoke the truth… ergo not libel.