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

[mcfc1632]

This is where you do and will continue to fall down on this forum.

I do the get the feeling that you don’t understand why FFP was introduced.

You may carry some weight with fellow professionals on here but you carry absolutely non with a man like me. Before anything else I am a Manchester City fan. You don’t come across this way.

That’s all I’ll say on the matter.

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Big difference between clubs lobbying governing bodies for changes so as to help cement a place at the top table (unpalatable but not unlawful), and clubs and individuals ganging up and making false accusations against other clubs with little to no supporting evidence to back it up. While I could see our club doing the former, I hope to fuck we never do the latter. That’s unlawful and can cause untold reputational damage. If City win this, then a firm message needs to go out to those various individuals and clubs, starting with that racist prick Tebas.

I have been/am enjoying the 'diagnostic/forensic' nature of some of the posts between 'knowledgeable' people about the detail of the process - that after all is where we will be either successful or not at CAS.

But it is very important to realise 'why we are here' and 'how we got to being here' with regard to FFPR - and all CITY fans should understand what the genesis/purpose of FFPR was and the intended outcomes it was designed to achieve - and specifically designed it was - to support certain clubs and to constrain others.

What has happened/is happening with this ban is - in a sense - just one battle within an overall war.

I desperately hope that we are successful in this battle, because if we are not then the consequential damage could lead to us 'losing the war'.

But if we are successful - then the management and owners need to plan/take action to stymie the other plans/battles that the G14 will seek to develop.

People may consider this to be 'tin hat' stuff - I totally refute that and would say that the evidence that this is a wide-ranging and coordinated campaign is compelling.

Thankfully, I am sure that Khaldoon and other management are fully aware of this and will plan accordingly.

I see this thread as being focussed on the CAS/Ban topic - so will not wish to divert - but it is only a single battle within an overall campaign which will likely end up with 1 of 5 outcomes:

1. We lose this battle and are side-lined for several years - more than the 2 due to the consequential damage

2. We are successful and 'live to fight another day' as the G14 (or in reality a sub-set of them) take stock and prepare for their next attack

3. We are successful and as a result become accepted within the future fabric and essentially a 'member'

4. UEFA become badly damaged and unable to implement rules that will placate the G14 and therefore they decide to take overt action / break away.

5. UEFA are able to survive the ire of the (residual members of) the G14 and act to reform in a manner that escapes G14 controls.

But - as I say - stuff for another thread following the result of this appeal

 

[KS55]

I've been a season ticket holder since '83 was there for all the dark days, stopped going when I moved to London but first and foremost I am a (sadly addicted) fan. But it is irrelevant why FFP was set up - it is 2020 and we deal with the problem before us. It is pointless crying about FFP when we acquiesced the rules for many years, took the UEFA cash, participated and played along. If FFP or a breakaway was being discussed today, we'd be killing ourselves to be at the top table. That's life.

So you can keep harping on about the unfairness of FFP, to me it's just not relevant and it is certainly not relevant to CAS.

Yes. Proy was very unfair to you. Most on here value your expertise and judgement.

 

[ancoats]

Yes, but.......
Soriano said the case was political.
The red teams meet regularly in Mcr and NY. Not dicussing the price of fish.
Several odd deals with Uefa by G14 teams: PSG, Liverpool (oh, that expenditure was by a previous owner So it doesn't count).
Uefa have done the bidding of G14 on the format of the CL, Leaving debt out of ffp, TV money formula ("it's ridiculous that man city got the biggest pay out". Real spokesman)
G14 captured major positions at uefa, three quarters of ECA exec seats, all voting for each other like the euro song contest.
Maybe not conspiracy, but 'cooperation' of an unhealthy nature. Lobbying is all very well, but uefa just give in to them every time. And should they be lobbying the 'independent' IC and AC?
Adam Smith said that, the moment you interfere with free markets, you get clandestine meetings in smoke filled back rooms, as big players put the fix in.
The fix is in.

if anybody thinks this does not go on your daft

they all piss in the same pot the freemasons handshake and all looking after there so called members ? manchester city have been black balled and will be allowed to be part of it and they fear us more than anything else in the world of football, this is the bigger fight and uefa and its rules are set by them so how can you win

 

[KS55]

If it is a fix, CAS will find in our favour. I am confident of that.

Soriano was adamant that the moment we went to an independent tribunal, all would be different. Tells you he thinks the fix is in and our only hope is outside Uefa.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

This whole blaming other clubs is a nonsense. It's a competitive, multi billion industry where finishing fourth is a guaranteed £100m with CL qualification. The idea that other clubs are going to sit idly by and want City to get off freely if we have broken rules is a nonsense.

Don't agree with that at all. CL qualification should be based on sporting issues, not a politically-motivated campaign to cripple a club. If we've broken rules then it's not unfair that we suffer some sort of sanction but we've already been punished for failing FFP.

 

[The Light Was Yellow Sir]

G14, cartel blah blah. IMO (tin hat on), we need to give this stuff up - if we lose the club have screwed up. Let's be clear and honest, we would act exactly the same as the competition if, lets say, we win at CAS (or even if we don't) and in 5 years Newcastle have started to threaten the status quo. It's a competitive sport - people lobby as it leads to relative gains.

No tin hat needed there, mate. It’s funny how people seem to divorce football from the real world when, in reality, the top clubs are like Mafia families. Whilst everyone is doing ok there is implied agreement but anything that presents itself as an opportunity will be taken. Whilst City are earning £100M a year from the CL one other PL team is not, with the EL offering a few quid as well as a possible route into the CL, any opportunity for the number of teams chasing those things to be reduced would surely be welcomed by the other PL teams.
If City were to be banned for 2 years, Wolves won the EL and City won the FA Cup, the EL qualifiers would be the teams that finished 7th, 8th and 9th. On that basis, why wouldn’t they not only be anxious that city are banned but write a letter trying to influence that outcome? As for the rest of Europe, if we are away from the ‘top table’ for a couple of years, we cannot be as strong in the transfer market, thus giving them an advantage.
It’s all about naked self interest, capitalism if you will. Blood has been smelt but, if we come through this, we will become the Gambino family and, have no doubt, will do whatever it takes to stop any usurpers from joining in, because that’s just the way of the world.

 

[Len Rum]

That is litigation - smart people can disagree. This is why it is very risky not to settle a case where the stakes are very high for one side. UEFA's stakes are far lower than City's so they can take a view that even a 50% prospect of success justifies going ahead.

This sums it up for me.
UEFA have a lot less to lose than us and could just be going through the motions as they were under pressure to bring the case.
We on the other hand must be very confident to have pursued what appears to be a high risk course of action and all the noises emanating from the club indicate this to be the case.
That is why I remain confident.

 

[waspish]

I've been a season ticket holder since '83 was there for all the dark days, stopped going when I moved to London but first and foremost I am a (sadly addicted) fan. But it is irrelevant why FFP was set up - it is 2020 and we deal with the problem before us. It is pointless crying about FFP when we acquiesced the rules for many years, took the UEFA cash, participated and played along. If FFP or a breakaway was being discussed today, we'd be killing ourselves to be at the top table. That's life.

So you can keep harping on about the unfairness of FFP, to me it's just not relevant and it is certainly not relevant to CAS.

I agree but being devils advocate if we said we disagree with ffp so stick your Uefa competition we lose out on at least 50m+ A season other clubs would get the advantage on us then the premier ffp comes in we can’t say stick that too can we? So the club was in a no win situation and that’s what Uefa want/like.

 

[SWP's back]

city are pinning their hopes on UEFA failed to follow their own procedures by leaking the information before we knew

That’s just bollocks though and typical ill informed journalist crap from people that haven’t looked into it with any depth whatsoever. They’re just quoting CAS1.

 

[Centurions]

Yes. Proy was very unfair to you. Most on here value your expertise and judgement.

I don't think Proy was 'unfair' as such. It's obvious that Proy (and most on here) are looking at it from a fans perspective, projectriver is looking at it from a professional viewpoint. Both viewpoints are valid (allowing for rabid optimism from fans, and I include myself in that).

It's good that we have both camps posting.