Say Addidas/Nike sponsorship for Chitty is a huge amount probably over what would seem reasonable. Since Addidas/Nike are 3rd party, it is difficult to argue that the sum they pay Chitty is out of kilter. But then there is nothing stopping another arm/part of the country that owns Chitty, paying to Addidas/Nike for trainers to give to poor (say) African children. Legally it would be difficult to prove a quid pro quo. This has relevance as to profitablity/turnover.
I think the PL has brought in guidelines about sponsorship deals and how they now have to be ratified (this is after City got the Etihad sponsorship deal) so you can't just sponsor the corner flag for £1bn a season, it has to be realistic and measurable against other deals. This is what had the mags all up in arms last season when they assumed their new murderers, sorry owners could simply spend £2bn on a new squad
A very wealthy club with ****e fans, who have consistently been scrutinised for many years. I will not be disappointed to see them demoted to league two in Scotland.
Bit of a watershed moment this in premier league history for me. I doubt Scudamore would have pressed go on this, in my opinion anyway. The problem is this will take years to get to the end. Lawyers will retire off it. I only hope in the meantime it acts as a bit of a handbrake on a league that is killing itself from the inside out. Whatever the outcome, and I have a bit more hope than some that the premier league have teeth now, it may just show other monied clubs that they will be challenged to behave accordingly.
Anyone really think Man City won’t get away with just a slap on the wrist? They will have had top lawyers preparing for something like this for a long time.
I have a suspicion, or maybe it is naieve hope, that they will come out of this badly. I dont believe it will come to relegation or historic removal of trophies, but I could see some serious sanctions on transfers and future operations. Possibly also a points deduction to guarantee missing a european campaign. As much as they have money to pay the top lawyers, so do the premier league and they wouldnt have pressed these charges if they plan to roll over and have their belly tickled by high paid lawyers. Dont forget the fan led review in this too, the clamour that will build against them wont be minor. They will, in my opinion all settle behind closed doors, but the punishment will be significant.
Usually I'd agree with this. However, football is at a crossroads in regards to money. Daft fees for players paid over 8 years at Chelsea, it's getting out of control. I never thought I'd see the days a 80 million pound human was classed as a bargain. In reality, and it's a funny one to say, but are City really a powerhouse world wide? Great football players doing there thing, Club winning trophies and when they do, no one really gets pissed off in the same way Man U,Chelsea etc winning everything becauseits City, underdog done good. I digress, but my point is, City could be used as an example of real sanctioned punishment. I read today if even found guilty of half of the accusations, they're f**ked, because if they had nothing to hide, why have they been awkward during every step of the 48 month investigation to the point they were taking the piss in handing over simple paperwork? There's isn't just smoke here, there's f**k of flames a foot.
Comes down to whether PL is corrupt or not, and will obey their own rules. Given the way they eventually rushed through the Saudi takeover without so much as informing other PL members, I think I know the answer.
All for show IMO. Scudamore, like almost all football execs is in a job which pays a huge salary for a simple business. He would get nothing like it in the "real", world. This will go away. Abhu Dhabi will, if they need to, swamp the EPL with expensive and protracted legal process. They'll threaten to drag it out for years, have the time and money to do it, and it will be all over bar some token bollocking, or a meaningless points deduction,once they know it won't matter. This is how Ashley dealt with the EPL. He and the Saudis threatened just that, and the EFL buckled and decided that their rules, while still in force even now, need not apply. Money will always talk to money.
