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

[George Hannah]

David Conn needs to research his pieces better. If the deals were assessed as fair value then it doesn't matter.

Is there an echo?

 

[schfc6]

The likes of madrid juventus liverpool Bayern and the scum dont give a shit about having competition they want to be top dogs for ever raking in the million's and even the tv companies dont give shit as long as the history clubs who have trillions of fans keep signing up to there overpriced bias packages!!

Yes, but they need competition for this to happen. Germany & France are now finding that out. Spain have fucked themselves with tv deals. No one gives a shit about Italian football.
Future revenues are going to depend on emerging markets, and they are not loyal fans, they simply follow the best team in the main.

Also, it’s worth considering that UEFA, is mainly a bunch of selves serving established clubs, with ex footballers heavily involved.
They’ll be no match for ADUG.

 

[BringBackSwales]

Really?! ;-)

Ok to myself and a few special friends

 

[schfc6]

David Conn yesterday (Irish Times) has a piece saying the most serious allegation for UEFA is the diguised sponsorship claim that the Sheikh was funding Etihad's sponsorship (and presumably others).

Surely this will be impossible to prove for UEFA?

 

[Damanino]

Problems is we cant be 100% clear we are innocent. Some of these arabic sponsors looked shady from the start, the Sancho case also looks possible that we did try to to something shady.

And we signed so many youngsters around the world trough CFG and we have deals so many obscure clubs, middle men agents regarding youth signings that chances are that Fifa could be able to find some mistakes. Just like with Chelsea recently.

Most of these youngsters in the end never even got a first team chance City. Look at Sancho...
Some of them never ever turned up at City even at youth level. Look at the Norwegian loans of Ghana youngsters for 3-4 years in a row. Then Nordsjallend loan deal stuff...
These teams were getting youth players from City we never even knew they are ours. They never spent a day at Manchester probably.

If Uefa, PL, Fifa will dig enough I am afraid they will find stuff...

Even if they dont our reputation got damaged, already a small win for our rivals who are the lobby power behind all this for sure.

 

[George Hannah]

Ha :)
The most serious allegation (depending on timing, structure and value) is the Zuculini one and I'd be far more worried about having broken FIFA's regulations on TPO than any FFP consequences.

to get turned over for signing that useless specimen would put the tin hat on it ;(

 

[The perfect fumble]

For those of you who are suffering from moral queasiness, can I remind you of something I posted earlier.

The top 12 highest transfers of all time are currently playing for just 6 clubs: United, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus and PSG

The 10 highest paid footballers of all time are currently playing for just 7 clubs: as above plus Atletico Madrid and Arsenal.

Two points:

1. The rules have been put in place to protect this group at the top of the spending league, nothing more. Morality and fair play don't come into it.

2. City are challenging these clubs not because they have broken into that spending leage (City players are on neither of those lists), but because they are better

See you at the match tonight

I agree with this with only one caveat.

In addition to the above City pose an existential threat to a business model. Other owners, particularly American ones, see their clubs primarily as hugely successful profit generating machines, with one particular owner seeing their club as a very necessary cash cow.

Our owners don't see it that way, we operate to different time scales to other clubs, a different scope of investment, we plough back a greater portion of income generated and we're willing to sacrifice immediate return on investment to reach the pinnacle of success, rather than safely occupy the top four, Champions League place, maximisation of revenue Arsenal model.

In order to compete with City, owners of other clubs would have to think differently, abandon the gravy train model and become more like us, and that is something they will not countenance. The top six clubs are successful money generating brands, most of the American owners can't get their head round the concept of relegation, let alone what we're doing, they don't just see City as a rival, more like "the end of the world as we know it".

I've always been of the opinion that it is our business model that our rivals see as the greatest threat.

 

[blue b4 the moon]

That assumes that the UAE really does stand squarely behind Man City. Personally I have always thought that City belong to Sheikh Mansour. ABu Dhabi and the UAE are not going to make economic sacrifices for Man City who are just one of their many Princes football clubs.

UAE press release....hurt/disrespect my family and you will pay!!!

 

[citizen_maine]

I am afraid

you should have just posted this bit :-)

 

[mcfcphil]

That's all fine, but if they are refused access to the emails, as you would imagine they will be, then those same forces who are behind this inside & outside UEFA, will forever tar us with being guilty, but getting away with it.

Yeah that’s what I meant by the asterisk comment.

Those people will never give us credit - even if we released every email and were fully exonerated. If it wasn’t FFP they would find something else to devalue our achievements.

That’s what this is all about - they will always try to taint our achievements but I really couldn’t give a fuck if we’re winning major trophies.