UEFA FFP investigation - CAS decision to be announced Monday, 13th July 9.30am BST

[Craig]

I am really conflicted by all this. On the one hand my heart says fight this all the way. Present the facts and we will win the argument and prove Uefa to be corrupt and incompetent. But to do that we need a level playing field and impartiality and when the fuck have we ever had that in the last 10 years. It really is just a circus from Pogmol to Uefa and I am starting to think that it is a war we cannot win because of the systemic corruption we are faced with. I hope that the club have got this right and we dont regret turning down the offer of another small 'pinch' that would have allowed Uefa to save face. We have made a very very big call and it might define us as a club for years and years.

Were we offered a lesser sanction mate? If so what was it?

 

[CityPar]

For years I heard, was told and said "Typical City". The our owners came along and Khaldoon himself in one of his speeches said they were trying to get away from that. For a few years it appeared we were. Now this happens lol. The ultimate TYPICAL CITY!

 

[bewildered]

I am really conflicted by all this. On the one hand my heart says fight this all the way. Present the facts and we will win the argument and prove Uefa to be corrupt and incompetent. But to do that we need a level playing field and impartiality and when the fuck have we ever had that in the last 10 years. It really is just a circus from Pogmol to Uefa and I am starting to think that it is a war we cannot win because of the systemic corruption we are faced with. I hope that the club have got this right and we dont regret turning down the offer of another small 'pinch' that would have allowed Uefa to save face. We have made a very very big call and it might define us as a club for years and years.

At the end of the day, the club has done nothing wrong. Do I want a fair playing field, Yes but we arent being given one. We can all see it every week. We get treated differently by every organisation going. PGMOL, PL, UEFA, FA all of them.

Does that mean we should be good little people and accept what we are allowed to have and be gratefull? No fucking way...

I'd rather be in Championship 2 and supporting a club with integrity and that stands up for itself.

I reckon our owners are well place to take some short term damage while playing the long game

 

[Uffa]

Sometimes you have to lose a battle to win the war.

No one is going to have any sympathy with us on this issue. The media campaign has already done the damage and even if the CAS overturns the decision, the reputational damage has been done.

If, and it’s a big if, the CAS reduce UEFA’s ban to one-year then I would personally like the club to take it. There are all sorts of deals to be struck in which you accept the punishment but maintain innocence and a one-year ban could benefit the team in the long-run.

More importantly, it allows the club to change the narrative. Us spending too much and ‘cheating’ is no longer news, we’ve taken our punishment.

Instead the club should draw new battle lines . Go after the very nature of FFP and it’s protectionist scheme. Explain how if we did break the rules, it was to enhance the competition. Hammer home how some clubs have far too much influence with governing bodies.

That is the battle to be won and one with other clubs would support us on.

Drawing the appropriate differences from our own past, I'd say from experience that whatever you do your reputation won't change for the general public and in the hearts of people. Those who like you will keep liking you either way, those who hate you will keep hating you either way. Football is funded on emotions, not on logical moral reasoning.

No one is going to change how they feel about you based on how you behave in a technical law battle. Even if you do everything by the book and accept punishment, even if a court eventually finds you innocent, people won't let go of this and for some you'll always be the "arab oil cheats who managed to get away with it."

You have to fight for the technical and practical position of your team and company, not for some moral high ground or reputation. Because no one who pulls the strings actually cares about that.

 

[Rammy Blue]

There are a serious number of worms which haven't even crawled out of the can yet, all causing potential headaches for us and the authorities.

A deferred Champions League ban until CAS outcome...

If you are a club who finishes fifth as a result, who do they sue for missing out on participation if City are unsuccessful in appeal further down the line?

And the flip side of that, there is Premier League cash to play for this season, do we maintain focus and strong line ups, or go light, meaning other clubs complain about their final standings and merit payments?

If I was Leroy Sane and Bayern at present I would be very worried.

City won't sell anybody as things stand.

Even Dave might be thinking twice about his decision. Remember Buffon at Juventus?

We have been negotiating for a new shirt sponsor, City can argue a negative financial impact.

Surely we may as well take the piss and announce an enormous Abu Dhabi related shirt deal.

 

[The perfect fumble]

We have to therefore deal with the elements causing this as they won't go away unless we do.

This is politics and as such we've already lost, whether we're guilty or not is almost immaterial, in the court of public opinion we've been found out and regardless of what ensues that will always be the case. We have no allies whatsoever, no club in the Premier League will come to our defence and certainly no European club will. The dumb down media, almost without exception, happily declares us dirty cheats. The details of the case, the motivations behind it and the FFP cartel stitch up are never discussed or analysed.

It is testimony to what little soft power we have that we have legions of lawyers on this. Recourse to law is hard power, it's the option you choose only when all the other options are exhausted, not unlike a divorce case when mediation is no longer possible.

All the mood music surrounding this, our "non-engagement with UEFA", is really about City's refusal to kiss the ring, our unwillingness to bow before the cartel running UEFA and take another pinch, regardless of the merits of the case. We're the uppity Frankenstein club that doesn't know its place and has lost its patience.

It's clear the club realised long ago that it has no levers to pull within the football establishment, at least none that were connected to anything, and decided it had no other option than to get this case to some regulatory body or other where facts matter and impartiality is more than just a fig leaf for vested interest, all the clubs efforts are devoted to this, which leads me to believe they have a very strong case.

Returning to my divorce analogy, when a divorce hits the courts, you know that a kiss and a cuddle are out of the question, let alone a shag for old times sake, but one things for certain, someone's going to get fucked, hopefully it'll be UEFA, because to all extents and purposes we've been fucked already.

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

A high tide lifts all boats.

A blue wave is coming, we need to enjoy the ride.

Being told we want CAS done ASAP, our team have been ready to go for ages.

Suspect that is because dragging it out just to play in next season's tournament gives a perception of cynicism and not being entirely confident in our case.

Shit or get off the pot. I like it.

 

[kaz7]

From Samuel’s article:

“At CAS a list of independent arbiters will be provided, with City choosing one, UEFA another, plus a CAS selection, to make the three-strong committee.”

That should worry us all. UEFA will end up choosing two as they will pay off the people that matter within CAS to choose someone they want.

Tell me that won’t happen. Nobody can with any confidence. We have no chance of defeating this evil.

UEFA wil have the 3rd one be covered i guarntee that,footbal at the top is corupt we know that from FIFA,i'm not at all confident

 

[KS55]

I will be astounded if the equally corrupt premier league don’t take away our 4 premier league titles. Based on who the runners up were that would be 2 extra titles each to their cunnting love child clubs, that would suit the bent twats 100%, pretend City and our achievements never existed

We havent broken any PL rules even if we have infringed UEFA FFP.

 

[marco]

MCFC are not stupid and i will rely simply on the fact that UEFA wated a deal to end it,we responded 'no chance',,for us to do that its one or two things,we bluff or were serious,with whats at stake MCFC will not be bluffing,there is another can of worms,wait and see,we will be playing CL football next season and this case will either go one or two ways-all the way to the swiss courts or be abandoned with an agreement that suits both parties