I would legit take relegation to League 2 if it meant the Glazers were booted out the club and I genuinely think the vast majority of United fans feel the same.
The Brexiters won the referendum, but they lost the battle over Europe.
They created a generation of young Britons that will do everything it can to return to the EU, with each new generation pushing further in that direction.
They created exactly what they wanted to prevent: a strong European identity among British youth.
The question is no longer whether the UK will rejoin the EU, but when. 🇪🇺🇬🇧
A historic decision for English football, and one that comes to crown the work I carried out through Football Leaks. Today, we all know that, through structural manipulation and financial manoeuvring, Manchester City did not merely circumvent the rules, they turned them into a mere formality, challenging any attempt to preserve the integrity of the competition. That meticulously orchestrated fraud will finally be subject to punishment, and the impact will not merely be turbulent, but truly devastating for the Cityzens.
Ironically, I cannot help but remember Pep Guardiola's words at his first press conference as City manager: "Fasten your seat belts".
Football Leaks claim that a Manchester City executive sent an email following the death of an FFP investigator as follows: "One has fallen, there are six to go." https://t.co/3H6pQJljBo
Before you assume that Man City will drag this out with appeals, know they might not even want to. Unless they have a silver bullet, I think it hurts them.
Whereas they could convince top players to join them whilst the narrative existed that they would get away with it, I doubt they can do so now. And I don’t think genuine commercial partners will be renewing or engaging any time soon.
They’ll be in purgatory until sanctions arrive and why drag that out unless they earnestly believe they have a silver bullet (which they don’t - they have known this was coming for a long time).
I believe the club has been positioning itself for a distressed sale for a while, putting it in a position to bounce back as fast as it can post relegation and sale.
10-year commercial deals.
New, costly, revenue-generating infrastructure in and around the club.
Shedding of older players on expensive wages and the addition of young players on long contracts.
All of this makes the club more resilient to relegation and easier to sell to an ambitious new buyer.
If I’m right, they will want to do this soon.
For those thinking Man City will get a lenient punishment like Chelsea did, that simply won’t be the case.
The PL convinced an IC Panel that Chelsea (a) did not gain any Sporting Advantage, (b) they were no longer owned/run by the perpetrators, and (c) they were very compliant (even self-reporting).
Man City’s case is the opposite of those 3 factors.
1) They gained a monstrous sporting advantage. Hundreds upon hundreds of millions over PSR limits.
2) They are still owned / run by the people that did it.
3) They have gone to extreme lengths to avoid justice. They hid it all (only an email hack caught them - the rules could not).
They refused to comply with the investigation.
They committed perjury at CAS.
I’ll do a fuller post later tonight but the reality is the punishments will be as serious as they come.
My pinned post says it all.
🚨 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
Ironic that Rupert Lowe who led Southampton to their first relegation in 27 years, put massive stadium debt on the club, failed to get promoted, resigned after fan protests, then returned as chairman 2 years later, and led the club into administration….is attacking a United fan group and he’s protecting the just as incompetent Jim Ratcliffe
Maybe sit this one out you rat 🐀