Paul

ARSENAL ... That is all ....

[Fabrizio Romano @FabrizioRomano]

🚨 OFFICIAL: FA statement on Manchester City.

“The Independent Commission’s decision has significant implications for the integrity of the game. We are carefully considering the decision and its implications and will take action where appropriate.

“As proceedings between the Premier League and Manchester City Football Club remain ongoing, we do not intend to comment further at this stage. We will, however, continue to monitor developments closely.”

[Paul @zinge667]

@themagic_tophat @mcscotty808 @premierleague It's quite surprising that the majority of these city fans appear to have moved to Egypt .. clearly in de Nile 🤣

[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.

[Paul @zinge667]

@ManCity Is the vote free or do I need to make a 'charitable' donation 😉😏

[David Ornstein @David_Ornstein]

🚨 Premier League confirms Manchester City ruled guilty of every charge related to financial rule breaches across 9 seasons + majority of charges on #ManCity failure to co-operate with probe. Situation discussed w/ @JamesHorncastle @kvlmason @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/eqQJBGqzSu

[Ben Jacobs @JacobsBen]

BREAKING: The Premier League confirm an independent Commission has found Manchester City guilty of all charges related to serious breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules over a nine-season period, and the majority of charges in relation to its failure to co-operate with the League’s investigation.

The independent Commission found that between Seasons 2009/10 and 2017/18:

"Manchester City arranged ‘sham’ contracts (which misrepresented the true agreement between the parties) with a number of its commercial partners, as well as relying on ‘sham’ agreements with others, to artificially inflate the club’s revenues and reduce its costs.

"The club filed misstated accounts and concealed the true state of its finances from its auditors and football regulators.

"Manchester City was significantly in breach of both the Premier League’s and UEFA’s spending limits.

"During the Premier League’s investigation, Manchester City committed multiple breaches of its duties of co-operation and utmost good faith towards the League (three of the four alleged breaches were upheld).

"The independent Commission found that Manchester City arranged ‘sham’ commercial deals with a number of its sponsors during the period, which were part of a disguised funding scheme, whereby those companies were only required to pay a portion of the relevant sponsorship fees. The remainder was funded by Abu Dhabi United Group Investment & Development Ltd (ADUG), which owned the club. As part of the scheme, further ‘sham’ arrangements, funded by ADUG, were entered into to enable the club to record lower operating expenses than it actually incurred, as well as a ‘sham’ circular arrangement with Fordham, an entity that purchased the club’s players’ image rights, that was funded by ADUG."

The EPL add: "The purpose of these schemes was found to have been to artificially inflate the club’s revenues, and reduce its costs, by more than £900 million during the affected period, to appear to comply with financial rules. The consequence of this, as the Commission found, was that the club filed misstated accounts and concealed the true state of its finances from its auditors and football regulators. The Commission concluded that ‘by its conduct the club clearly intended to circumvent the PL Rules.

"As a result, Manchester City failed to accurately report its income and expenditure for the purposes of the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules and UEFA’s Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Rules. The Commission found that, had all of the relevant agreements been reported accurately in the club’s accounts, it would have been in breach of both the League’s and UEFA’s spending limits by a very substantial amount.

"In addition, during the course of the four-year investigation conducted by the Premier League, the club committed multiple breaches of its duties of co-operation and utmost good faith towards the League. The Commission concluded that the club had ‘made concerted efforts to stop and frustrate the PL investigation."

Richard Masters: “The core decision establishes the facts of what happened at Manchester City during this period. It details how the club systematically broke Premier League Rules for nearly a decade.

“It also vindicates the Premier League’s decision to pursue this case against Manchester City.  While the process to date has been both long and difficult, the League has remained determined that the facts be established independently.

“It is a key responsibility of the Premier League to ensure that the Rules, approved by the clubs themselves, are upheld to protect the integrity of the competition. It is paramount that the League remains competitive and fair for all clubs and for the fans. We take that role extremely seriously.

“This disciplinary case, and this decision, are the most significant in Premier League history. There are elements of the case that remain to be decided, including, importantly, what sanction must follow for these breaches. Now we have the Commission’s decision, we are committed to moving swiftly through the remainder of the process, to provide certainty for the League, our clubs and fans.”

A redacted version of the independent Commission’s findings has been published.

Now that the charges have been proved, the issue of sanction will be addressed separately in a further hearing.

City has the right to appeal the independent Commission’s findings and has until Friday 2 October to exercise that right.

[Fabrizio Romano @FabrizioRomano]

🚨 MAJOR BREAKING: Premier League confirm an independent Commission has found Manchester City GUILTY OF ALL CHARGES related to serious breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules over a nine-season period, and the majority of charges in relation to its failure to co-operate with the League’s investigation.

The club has the right to appeal the independent Commission’s findings and has until Friday 2 October to exercise that right.

The Premier League Board’s intention is that the full process (including any appeals and publication of relevant decisions) is concluded as soon as possible.

The independent Commission found that between Seasons 2009/10 and 2017/18:
- Manchester City arranged ‘sham’ contracts (which misrepresented the true agreement between the parties) with a number of its commercial partners, as well as relying on ‘sham’ agreements with others, to artificially inflate the club’s revenues and reduce its costs
- The club filed misstated accounts and concealed the true state of its finances from its auditors and football regulators
- Manchester City was significantly in breach of both the Premier League’s and UEFA’s spending limits
- During the Premier League’s investigation, Manchester City committed multiple breaches of its duties of co-operation and utmost good faith towards the League (three of the four alleged breaches were upheld)

[David Ornstein @David_Ornstein]

🚨 Premier League clubs planning legal action following guilty verdict against Manchester City relating to financial rule breaches. Lawyers instructed & work under way for some time before #ManCity outcome; would be after any appeals process @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/cNGSwkpn9J

[The xG Philosophy @xGPhilosophy]

Man City generated 114 charges from 115(xG)

[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

[Paddy @PaddyArsenal]

@1Walid1 Overcrowding

[David Ornstein @David_Ornstein]

🚨 Mikel Arteta agrees new Arsenal contract. #AFC boss into last year of deal but all sides aimed to extend since talks started in spring; improved terms now in place for 44yo & coaching staff also in process of renewing @TheAthleticFC post @SamiMokbel_BBC https://t.co/eYtlzKBPY3

[Sami Mokbel @SamiMokbel_BBC]

Exc: Mikel Arteta reaches agreement with Arsenal over new long-term contract. Existing deal expires at the end of the season but fresh terms set to take him into a decade at the Emirates. https://t.co/o1Cp95ueK0

[Robin Bairner @RBairner]

I'm never going to be able to unsee this

[Arsenal @Arsenal]

Saturday on the south coast 🛣️

📍 American Express Stadium

[Arsenal @Arsenal]

🔴 𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗖𝗛𝘿𝘼𝙔 ⚪️

🆚 Brighton & Hove Albion
🕒 3pm (UK)
🏆 Premier League
🏟️ American Express Stadium

🤝 @airwallex

[Fabrizio Romano @FabrizioRomano]

🚨🔴⚪️ Mikel Arteta confirms he will sign new contract at Arsenal: “We are all very much aligned”.

“Whenever the time is right, we'll get that done. There is nothing to be concerned about”.

[Wrexham AFC @Wrexham_AFC]

Thanks to @firefox for keeping moles out of our Racecourse and data. 😉

🔴⚪ #WxmAFC