Linus

⚖️ & ⚽ Uppsala/ Helsinki

[Daniel Storey @danielstorey85]

Etihad threatening to sue. UAE reportedly intimating that UK investment could be pulled. A Prime Minister couching any criticisism. If this sorry saga doesn't convince you that state ownership of football clubs should never be allowed, nothing ever will.

[Rui Pinto @RuiPinto_FL]

"The decisive ally to both of the clubs was the man whose job should have committed him to complete neutrality: UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino. The Football Leaks documents show just how unconscionably the top functionary sided with the newly wealthy clubs, both of which didn't just violate the Financial Fair Play rules. They held them in contempt.

During the FFP proceedings, Infantino met with club bosses from Paris and Manchester on several occasions for secret talks, even supplying them with confidential materials. He proposed compromises that he was unauthorized to propose. In short: He betrayed his own organization."

https://t.co/sZhme3uOfp

[Henry Winter @henrywinter]

“I would be really concerned to lose them.” Prime Minister Andy Burnham on the possibility of Manchester City’s owners selling up. What?! These are owners found guilty of serial breaches of the Premier League rule-book by three judges on an independent commission after a lengthy investigation. Owners who outraged other clubs and countless fans by flouting the rules and inflating sponsorship income with the Disguised Funding Scheme.

Owners who misled auditors and regulators, who threaten to bring this Premier League season – and, potentially, future seasons - to a standstill by their appeal, deny, delay tactics. Owners who are patently not proper custodians of a famous, historic club. Owners who many hope will sell up and ship out after bringing such shame and sham contracts to the game.

So these are astonishing, alarming comments from the PM. “I do actually thank the City Football Group and the wider ownership for the money that they didn't just put into the Etihad and the campus around it but also into the city," Burnham told the BBC’s Chris Mason.

Come on, PM. Read the room. Read the commission’s report. Read the belligerent statements from the Abu Dhabi owners and their chief executive like Ferran Soriano. Rather than thank CFG, perhaps thank the diligence of the Premier League in seeking to enforce its rules and protect the national sport. Perhaps thank the three judges for their pain-staking work in sifting through reams of evidence and coming to their considered conclusion.

Burnham spoke as a politician seemingly with one eye on diplomatic and trade links. He spoke as a former mayor whose city benefited from investment in east Manchester by Abu Dhabi. “They've been such a huge partner in the building of modern Manchester and obviously the building of Manchester City into the global force that it is.” And how was that building financed?

Burnham spoke as a politician and not the football fan that he truly is. The lifelong Evertonian is usually pretty sound on football matters. He misread the mood of many fans not wanting the possible return of drinking in Premier League stands but that was a rare misstep. This is far worse. This makes him look out of touch with the prevailing mood. He was speaking at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Maybe he should head to Anfield on Sunday week and witness the anger felt towards City.

Burnham did add that he wasn’t getting involved in the process and that City had a right to appeal if they felt harshly treated. But how does the PM’s sympathetic words for controversial owners help the independent football regulator charged by Government with leading the fight against those who risk the credibility of their club, who play fast and loose with the rules and who damage the integrity of the national sport?

How frustrating if Burnham’s words embolden City's owners and Soriano further. Bit of an own goal by No 10.

[Rui Pinto @RuiPinto_FL]

Back in 2014, there was a man who was already aware of the irregularities involving Manchester City. That man now runs FIFA. The infamous Gianni Infantino, then UEFA General Secretary, abused his authority, shared confidential documents and, in short, outmanoeuvred the Investigatory Chamber, doing everything in his power to ensure that both Manchester City and PSG would merely receive a fine, avoiding a deeper investigation that could have led to a Champions League ban. All of these details were also revealed through Football Leaks.
Given his actions as UEFA General Secretary and, more recently, as FIFA President, I can only say, in my humble opinion, that Gianni Infantino has become a cancer on football and should have no place in the future of the game.

[Rob Harris @RobHarris]

Asked Man City CEO Ferran Soriano about the PL verdict confirming their guilt

[V @TheRetroVay]

85th post about Yamal in last 26 days but “I only talk about Transfer News”

[Out of Context Football Manager @nocontextfm1]

Really?

[David Ornstein @David_Ornstein]

🚨 EXCLUSIVE: Manchester City found guilty on virtually all charges relating to breaches of Premier League financial regulations. #MCFC expected to appeal against verdict issued by independent commission. Sanctions undecided, process ongoing @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/Muxqp4beK9

[En Júpiter @En_jupiter_]

Cuando un AirPods se queda sin batería pero el otro sigue totalmente cargado.

[DAN @YidVids]

Very Tottenham that the never injured Pedro Porro gets repeatedly injured as soon as we sell our England starting back up right back.

[Oracle Red Bull Racing @redbullracing]

Welcome to the Red Bull family, Robin Räikkönen 🤝

One of the most promising young talents of his generation, the young Finn will become part of our driver development programme from 2027 🇫🇮

#F1 || #RedBullRacing

[Zoska 🐴 🦈 @TotallyNotZoska]

Russian officials have biologically evolved to be harder to push out of windows.

[Jacob Coxon @hilbertspaess]

I resigned from Anthropic today. I spent the last three years doing pretraining research at both OpenAI and Anthropic. Neither company is acting responsibly. They are racing straight to self-improving superintelligence and gambling with our lives. More thoughts below.

[Ron Filipkowski @RonFilipkowski]

This is an absolutely insane lie. His whole story about this today is a lie. I know he's lied about his non-role in 9/11 rescue/recovery before, but never this level of detail. Just total fantasy. Utterly disgraceful. Next he will claim he won the Medal of Honor. https://t.co/Azr11TZcw1

[Happily Dissatisfied @nocontextEFC]

We just got food chained nobody. We got food chained by the option to simply not sign for us. Everton got food chained by a man remembering he has free will and doesn’t have to come here

[David Ornstein @David_Ornstein]

🚨 EXCL: Agreement in principle reached for Iliman Ndiaye to join Tottenham Hotspur from Everton & Richarlison to move opposite way in separate transfers. Deals for 26yo #EFC attacker + 29yo #THFC forward subject to personal terms / medicals @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/R0KGDjBlKc

[george @StokeyyG2]

Santos and Tielemans tracking Hull’s midfield

[David Ornstein @David_Ornstein]

🚨 Tottenham Hotspur reach agreement in principle with Manchester City to sign Savinho. Deal for 22yo Brazil winger £75m + £10m add-ons (£5m of bonuses highly achievable). #THFC to land main target & #MCFC make record sale. W/ @GuillermoRai_ @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/phndbyxbDL

[David Ornstein @David_Ornstein]

🚨 Tottenham Hotspur working on double deal to sign Savinho & Omar Marmoush from Manchester City. #THFC aiming to land both 22yo Brazil winger + 27yo Egypt forward as key targets to strengthen attack - not done but talks with #MCFC advancing @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/qeVeKoKzhG