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

[nmc]

Since when has it become Michel Platini's Champions League. I always thought that it was UEFA'S Champions League, I didn't realise that Michel Platini had so much money coming out of his ears. It is time that old coot retired from all football matters. Football has moved on a long way since he last played football. He should keep his big fat nose out of our club business, and keep it in French football. It seems that PSG can do what it likes in breaking the FFP rules, as long a they have a member on the board of UEFA . It is time that both Parry and Gill looked after the interests of all English clubs in European comps, and not their own clubs interests.

One day it will come back and bite both of their own clubs. I just cannot wait for that day to come when both Livarpool and Utd are bought to book under FFP rules.

And of course Platini’s son works at PSG.

 

[BobbyBoy]

And that is exactly the reason why the time has come to stop fucking around & head straight for the European Court of Justice for a ruling on whether this contravenes their anti-competition laws.

UEFA's rules are just that, but the law, is the law...

The aforementioned Platini just lost his case in the ECJ for doing exactly that. You have to exhaust all national courts before you can go near them. Nothing about this will be quick or painless.

 

[BobbyBoy]

Okay... agreed but I just think you are missing a fundamental point that many sports have spending restrictions as you say but NO sport has come up with anything as convoluted, complex or obviously protectionist as UEFA. FFP cannot be reconciled with European competition laws in my view.

It's definitely convoluted, no arguments about that, it may well be judged illegal but enough clubs with money behind them have been punished and so far none of them have gone after it, they would have at the very least sought legal advice and must have been advised it is on safe ground.

 

[FrankSwift1]

I agree with a lot of the points people have raised about FFP being challenged and possibly ruled to be illiegal. But why would we try and do that? We have the 5th biggest revenues in Europe and are set to be one of the biggest clubs in the World for the foreseeable future with or without the ban. To overturn it would be a long and costly process and even if we were successful we would get no thanks and its now against our interests.

I would love a situation where there was genuine fairness in football but its not going to happen. There is too much money and vested interest in keeping the status quo. Lets leave a challenge to a Leeds or an Everton with new owners and deep pockets.

We need to concetrate on overturning the ban. We will probably focus on whether Uefa followed their own procedure, our own 'irrefutable' evidence and also if the punishment is justifiable. We will probably throw in how other clubs such as Juventus and Bayern are funded to show our situation is not unique. I think we wont really attack FFP but try and prove we followed it or found justifiable loopholes.

 

[waspish]

:One day it will come back and bite both of their own clubs. I just cannot wait for that day to come when both Livarpool and Utd are bought to book under FFP rules'
I think you will have a long wait.:).

They will just change the rules to suit like they did for the premier ffp

 

[portisheadblue]

Weren't the rags listed on the NYSE as a media company.

Indeed they were.

They were also listed as an “emerging” company despite being more than 125 years old and were quoted on the London Stock Exchange a few decades ago.

The emerging” ruse meant that they did not have to reveal as much financial information as established companies for a period of years

On top of that, this happened as they emerged from being incorporated in Delaware - they went in with PIK (payment in kind) debt of hundreds of millions of $$$$ and came out and hey presto it had disappeared .... and it was never spoken about again.

I wonder why?

 

[KS55]

The Glazers said that half the proceeds from the new class of non voting shares would go to reduce indebtedness. Wonder how that's going?

 

[Dribble]

The aforementioned Platini just lost his case in the ECJ for doing exactly that. You have to exhaust all national courts before you can go near them. Nothing about this will be quick or painless.

I know you have to exhaust national courts. It's why I said we should have started that process already, regardless of UEFA & CAS.

 

[Gorton_Tubster]

Sport is considered different by the EU commission. Forgetting about football there are spending caps in Rugby, Cricket, Forumula One, all the American sports have varying types of spending limits.

If you apply the same rules to sport as business then every single sports rule book is getting ripped up and replaced.

We're not talking about spending caps. It's relative spending caps. So for example ferrari would be allowed to spend more than nearly all other teams. Is that allowed? Serious question

 

[NZBlue]

The Glazers said that half the proceeds from the new class of non voting shares would go to reduce indebtedness. Wonder how that's going?

Very well actually, the Glazers are in nowhere near as much debt as they used to be :-)

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

Very well actually, the Glazers are in nowhere near as much debt as they used to be :-)

We don't know that. We know the rags have over £500m debt but we don't know what's hidden in their company accounts or in the rag accounts in the Cayman Islands. I've long suspected they're using their shares in United as security for a mass of other debt, which is why they seem loath to sell.

 

[Gordyola]

Sport is considered different by the EU commission. Forgetting about football there are spending caps in Rugby, Cricket, Forumula One, all the American sports have varying types of spending limits.

If you apply the same rules to sport as business then every single sports rule book is getting ripped up and replaced.

Squad salary caps are not illegal under any law as long as they are a collective if a cap was imposed by having eg £150k as a max for an individual then that would be a restrain of trade and illegal

 

[Shaelumstash]

No. There is just other clubs that do not need to manipulate... Especially not Bayern is nowhere near having problems keeping the FFP rules...

Just like the Afrikaans were nowhere near having problems keeping to the apartheid rules...

 

[BamberBridgeBlue]

I agree with a lot of the points people have raised about FFP being challenged and possibly ruled to be illiegal. But why would we try and do that? We have the 5th biggest revenues in Europe and are set to be one of the biggest clubs in the World for the foreseeable future with or without the ban. To overturn it would be a long and costly process and even if we were successful we would get no thanks and its now against our interests.

I would love a situation where there was genuine fairness in football but its not going to happen. There is too much money and vested interest in keeping the status quo. Lets leave a challenge to a Leeds or an Everton with new owners and deep pockets.

We need to concetrate on overturning the ban. We will probably focus on whether Uefa followed their own procedure, our own 'irrefutable' evidence and also if the punishment is justifiable. We will probably throw in how other clubs such as Juventus and Bayern are funded to show our situation is not unique. I think we wont really attack FFP but try and prove we followed it or found justifiable loopholes.

FFP has been dissected to the minute detail on this thread alone. I genuinely believe it’s evil protectionism, and ultimately self defeating. To suddenly decide it’s great because it might benefit City is a curious stance. Why shouldn’t the owners of Wolves, Everton or AFC Fylde come to that, have the same opportunity to invest in their clubs and squads?

 

[FrankSwift1]

FFP has been dissected to the minute detail on this thread alone. I genuinely believe it’s evil protectionism, and ultimately self defeating. To suddenly decide it’s great because it might benefit City is a curious stance. Why shouldn’t the owners of Wolves, Everton or AFC Fylde come to that, have the same opportunity to invest in their clubs and squads?

I dont think FFP is great, thats not what I said. I also wouldn't object to another club gaining external investment.

I just think there is a lot naivety on this tread that we are going to take on evil UEFA, fight the good fight and finish FFP for good.

Strategically why would would we do this? We have passed the most difficult point of the investment cycle and now have a large enough income to support ourselves and outspend most other teams. Its taken over 10 years to get to this point. You think we are going to spend years in court to undermine our position for no benefit to ourselves?

 

[chedinho]

I dont think FFP is great, thats not what I said. I also wouldn't object to another club gaining external investment.

I just think there is a lot naivety on this tread that we are going to take on evil UEFA, fight the good fight and finish FFP for good.

Strategically why would would we do this? We have passed the most difficult point of the investment cycle and now have a large enough income to support ourselves and outspend most other teams. Its taken over 10 years to get to this point. You think we are going to spend years in court to undermine our position for no benefit to ourselves?

Your absolutely right.

I would like city to destroy FFP. But I can’t see it happening unless we really need to do so.

 

[JGL07]

I dont think FFP is great, thats not what I said. I also wouldn't object to another club gaining external investment.

I just think there is a lot naivety on this tread that we are going to take on evil UEFA, fight the good fight and finish FFP for good.

Strategically why would would we do this? We have passed the most difficult point of the investment cycle and now have a large enough income to support ourselves and outspend most other teams. Its taken over 10 years to get to this point. You think we are going to spend years in court to undermine our position for no benefit to ourselves?

Absolutely.

Let the new owners at Everton or RB Leipzig or some such take up the battle. I will be cheering them on all the way. The FFP project will be holed beneath the water line if City succeed with CAS. Let someone else finish it off.

 

[oakiecokie]

I dont think FFP is great, thats not what I said. I also wouldn't object to another club gaining external investment.

I just think there is a lot naivety on this tread that we are going to take on evil UEFA, fight the good fight and finish FFP for good.

Strategically why would would we do this? We have passed the most difficult point of the investment cycle and now have a large enough income to support ourselves and outspend most other teams. Its taken over 10 years to get to this point. You think we are going to spend years in court to undermine our position for no benefit to ourselves?

I`m getting tyred of you.

 

[Ted_Bovis]

sorry that's never going to happen ? because the rules they setup are legally binding by signing up to play in their competition ?
manchester city have agreed to the rules and have to apply by them ? and if city are thinking they (uefa) moved the goalpost without city knowing and flagging them up now ? then sorry uefa have won the case and we can kiss goodbye to champions league football for 2 years and the CAS can help in reducing the punishment and that's city the best hope

uefa knew they had us because the rest are playing at it and doing the same thing its bent ? only they are sat on the board and grease the greedy hands of uefa and city refuse to play ball, the only way this will pan out city way is the whistle needs to be blown or city find some dirt on uefa ? its a dog eat dog world and its bigger than anybody really thinks

city had a golden chance to take one of them down when they found liverpool was tapping into our accounts ? only city settled out of court ???? this is going to cost manchester city big time and having one of the major players by the balls and let them off was a big mistake, again what the fuck are city doing ? you have one of the biggest clubs cheating and do nothing ? it makes me sick and mad and city are soft or looking soft and its us being called cheats

You do enjoy your question ? Marks? Don’t ? You?

 

[JGL07]

You do enjoy your question ? Marks? Don’t ? You?

He also likes talking bollox with this ‘signing up for the rules by entering the competition’ guff.

On that basis Jean-Marc Bosman would not have had a case against FC de Liege as he signed for the club knowing that they could halve his wages and prevent him playing for anyone else unless a transfer fee was paid.

Earlier George Eastham won a case against Newcastle who held his registration after his contract had expired and prevented him signing for Arsenal.

If a rule is illegal, signing up for it beforehand has no effect. It is still illegal.

The same applies with FFP. Over the past ten it has rendered virtually every major league in Europe one horse races - Bayern, Juve, PSG - two horses in the case of Spain. But for the inept management at Old Trafford, England could have looked the same.

I do hope that someone has a go at busting this, although I suspect it may not be City.