What is the saddest part of hearing the news that Man City have been charged with more than 100 breaches of financial rules?
The fact that it didn’t shock me at all?
Or my assumption that the Champions worst case scenario is a heavy fine which of course they can afford to pay?
They wouldn’t be the first to manipulate Financial Fair Play Rules by essentially including any fine in their action plan.
It should be stressed the club deny any wrongdoing, are surprised of EPL’s stance and remain confident their evidence provided is ‘irrefutable’.
Any hopes Gooners have of sanctions, including points deductions, is simply wishful thinking, although it would make the last few months more comfortable if that happened.
Sheikh Mansour is worth 21 billion, more than enough to pay for the best lawyers in the world to make sure that any punishments that impact events on the pitch would be the worst-case scenario. Any trophies being taken away in the past or future will be consequences City would fight for years and take to every last court.
Even if City deep down have been aware they were breaking rules, they wouldn’t do so without understanding their legal position.
The time frame being investigated is between 2009-2018. Experts believe that even the harshest punishment can only apply to those individual seasons. So only Man City being relegated helps us.
Will the Premiership themselves allow things to get that far?
If one of their representatives is guilty of cheating, they should be reprimanded.
You are noble for thinking so, but there’s too much money in the sport.
Nations which break Human Rights Laws owning clubs, FIFA accused of corruption, a World Cup that cost more than all of the previous combined, the biggest clubs in the UK trying to break away, Chelsea spending more in one window then the whole of Germany, Spain, France and Italy all together, etc.
My point being, don’t think the English governing body has woken up with a morality check and suddenly want to clean up the game.
If they do, they can’t only target the Etihad as well, as the accused will point out.
The Prem will also think of their own self-interest. It’s hard to market the idea of the Prem as the ‘best in the world’ if your relegating your clubs for financial breaches.
They would never be able to replay that ‘Aguero moment’ for a start if City end up being stripped of all their winners medals.
It’s the same reason those in power have resisted stadium bans and points deductions for racism and crowd trouble.
You don’t want to risk one of Britain’s biggest brands by admitting it has issues. Why do you think our Prime Minister and future King got involved once the Super League became an option?
Money ….
City have been here before. UEFA found them guilty in 2020 of similar breaches and kicked them out of the Champions League.
City made the same noises they have made now, used unlimited resources to take their case to CAS, where their conviction was overturned.
City are not just going to sit around and have their domestic dominance in the last decade taken away.
Don’t trust those who enforce the rules to have the courage to fight Man City all the way.
I wouldn’t want our title win to be decided due to our rivals having points taken away.
It wouldn’t feel as special and would impact the integrity of the competition.
Which is why it won’t happen.
If guilty, a fine is a compromise that suits all parties.
City can find it down the back of the sofa, while the Prem maintains its competitions moral issues.
Everyone points to Serie A throwing the book at their biggest names during the country’s conspiracy investigation.
The sport in Italy suffered for it with it’s international viewing figures not on the same level as their English peers.
The Prem are not going to hurt themselves in the long run.
They like the idea of the majority of money in the sport being spent in this part of Europe and want to keep in that way.
Guilty or not, money talks.
Dan
————————————–
WATCH EVERY ONE of Mikel Arteta’s and Jonas Eidevall’s Full Press conferences by subscribing to our YouTube Channel – JustArsenalVids
CALLING ALL ARSENAL FANS! Anyone who would like to contribute an Article or Video opinion piece on JustArsenal, please contact us through this link…