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

[qshot989]

A lot of interesting information on here.

 

[Bald fraud]

God, I hope we win...I wonder what how many people/organisations we will go after and how much money we would make in damages over this sustained attack on us...

This is what has me worried there are so many people and organisations we could absolutely take to the cleaners for the way we’ve been treated being cleared simply won’t be allowed

 

[Trevor Morley's Tache]

 

[domalino]

Never minded Sam Lee but even think he has become more like the other gutter press over past few days.

I don't think I could disagree more.

Hes never stood apart more from his colleagues. Engaged with city fans, explained why he wrote his story about no ban, been very up front about getting it wrong and still not said a bad word about the club

 

[chaddblue]

This is what has me worried there are so many people and organisations we could absolutely take to the cleaners for the way we’ve been treated being cleared simply won’t be allowed

Actually, ain't it more likely we'll try to take these people and organisations to the cleaners (through the courts) if we're not cleared?

 

[Trevor Morley's Tache]

Has anyone ever looked into UEFA's finances? I mean really looked?

I bet they aren't squeaky clean.

 

[sir baconface]

Bit of sarcasm there methinks.

And you’d be correct. They’d have difficulty spelling FFP.

 

[hcblue95]

I don't think I could disagree more.

Hes never stood apart more from his colleagues. Engaged with city fans, explained why he wrote his story about no ban, been very up front about getting it wrong and still not said a bad word about the club

Replying to people is the main thing. Other journalists think they're above that.

 

[HarrytheBlue]

Neville may be a rag, he may have a vested interest, but we need all the voices on our side that we can muster. God knows they are few enough of them. So forget his old alliances and encourage his opinions.

He is doing something similar at a lower level.

 

[HarrytheBlue]

Thanks.

 

[chedinho]

What if the cartel clubs actually want us to destroy UEFA so they can form their breakaway European league and make out it was our fault. Conspiracies R Us

That was my very first thought.

Do they even trust each other?

 

[LucahArchie10]

When this gets sorted & we win do we then make a new court case against UEFA & every fucking journalist, paper, Simon Jordan & any other slimey twat who have alienated us??

Please tell me we can?

 

[TedofChume]

Has anyone considered, what could happen if City win the UCL this season?

Naturally, the sponsors want their logos posted by the winners, but will they want to be associated with a banned club?

How will the TV companies and sponsors promote next season's competition without highlighting last year's winners?

I think these two points indicate, UEFA will use every VAR / Referee / Linesman / Clandestine Trick they can think of to stop City winning it.

So the most undermining thing City can do is play their hearts out, with the most scintillating exciting attacking football imaginable and have everyone around the world questioning UEFA when dodgy decisions go against us. They will fix the games, and this can only force public opinion in our favour. We have to play the best football ever.

There is also a surrogate argument, Liverpool failed to qualify for the UCL when they won it in Istanbul but the rules were bent to allow them to compete. It's purely semantics but a ban and falling to qualify have the same result. Liverpool shouldn't have been in it the following year but were, so did UEFA set a precedent that the reigning champions automatically qualify regardless? It would be interesting to check the actual wording of the rules. Ironic the final is in the same city?

 

[HarrytheBlue]

Where are our big gun pundits when you need them? Micah? Lescott? Dunney?

I just wish we had some proper heavyweight pundits.

 

[cleavers]

There seems to be a hostile relationship between Abramovich and our owners. I don't remember UEFA doing Chelsea any favours.

We took their mantle.

Abramovic thought he had a free run to spend whatever he wanted to win stuff, then we turned up, and uefa changed their rules so he couldn't/didn't. I'm sure he blames us, and its cost him a lot money trying to keep up, also one of uefa's sponsors are gazprom, something he had a big part of for a while, so I doubt all the links were severed, and he still seems to court putin (though it might be because he doesn't want a visit from novichok).

 

[Delboy352]

We took their mantle.

Abramovic thought he had a free run to spend whatever he wanted to win stuff, then we turned up, and uefa changed their rules so he couldn't/didn't. I'm sure he blames us, and its cost him a lot money trying to keep up, also one of uefa's sponsors are gazprom, something he had a big part of for a while, so I doubt all the links were severed, and he still seems to court putin (though it might be because he doesn't want a visit from novichok).

Doesn’t the holding company for Chelsea hold the debt owed to Abramovich, therefore they are what £2bn in debt??

 

[LucahArchie10]

@Prestwich_Blue I’ve just had a look at the initial Settlement Agreement(SA) and as I’m sure you know it covers the seasons from 2013/2014 up to and including 2015/2016

In UEFA’s statement on Friday they specify the penalty is for breaches from 2012-2016. Now given the Settlement Agreement and UEFA’s own 5 year limitation UEFA seem only able to investigate about 6 months worth of accounts(at best). Do I understand this correctly?

If so, how would UEFA go about reopening the 2014 SA? It would surely require a gross breach to even entertain the idea of reopening and overinflating sponsorship which allegedly happened during a period they already looked at seems pretty weak. But even if that is true, the punishment doesn’t really fit the ‘crime’. Unless they are accusing City of cooking the books for the best part of 5 years which, if true, then we would have bigger things to worry about than Sterling or Sane leaving - that would be an issue for the U.K. courts not UEFA’s imaginary one, surely?

Thanks in advance. But don’t be shy in calling me an idiot who’s got it all wrong....

My head goes in a spin reading far to much but 1 thing that comes out of all this info is that UeFa set up the goals only to move them 4 years later & doing so set us right fucking up?

 

[cleavers]

Doesn’t the holding company for Chelsea hold the debt owed to Abramovich, therefore they are what £2bn in debt??

The holding company that was setup by abramovic you mean ? err yes I expect so.

 

[HarrytheBlue]

I don't feel sad about this. I feel total anger and rage at our treatment by UEFA and the media, but at the same time I'm buzzing at the idea of seeing UEFA in court, as I've wanted us to test the legality of FFP since day one - albeit that aspect won't be tested at CAS. Actually, I feel energised as an individual and part of a group that's been collectively galvanised to a level beyond anything I can remember in all my life (60 in July). UEFA have picked on the wrong club.

 

[HarrytheBlue]

In a nutshell yes. If you look at a few cases you can see the trend and not just with UEFA.

CAS either throw out cases due to due process/procedures not being followed in the investigation or the reduce the ban/fine as they deem it excessive.

Im not sure about other sporting organisations but I know one of UEFA’s stipulations and something we would have signed up to is we cannot take any grievance any further than CAS. They are suppose to be the final recourse.

Of course I’m not sure that would stand up in any court of law and I’m sure City don’t give a fuck and will go to the Swiss Courts anyway but it is something to be aware of.

That's my understanding as well. CAS is really just a procedures thing - i.e. whether UEFA followed due process, gave us adequate notice, gave us the opportunity to defend ourselves etc. The legality of FFP is for other courts, who will also look at UEFA's conduct. The other non-procedure related aspects are what I'm most interested in and hanging most of my hopes on.