That's already been dealt with and chucked out due to EU time barring laws. I'll be honest, I hope they don't get anything too severe, in fact, I'd rather City take down the PL board and cause new rules to be implemented.
My preference would be a significant fine (due to this having a knock on FFP effect), a 30 point deduction (allows them to survive in the PL) and possibly transfer sanctions for a year or so. Not interested in revoking titles and stuff, what difference does that make now? That would only open a huge issue with loss of earnings from every club, clubs challenging all City results, etc., far too messy. Best to just deal with the here and now. send a huge message and move on (to Chelsea....)
Or reconstruct the FFP rules completely. A system that allows smaller clubs to grow who are lucky enough to have a benefactor. A system where clubs still have to prove profit & sustainability but if they breach these limits all transfer fee's and contacts over and above have to be paid in full by the owners into an escrow account of some form. Therefor protecting the clubs should the owner leave, and protecting the selling clubs from being stiffed of their money. In addition any transfers and contracts over and above should have to pay a tax of say 10% and these funds distributed amongst the football league and grass roots every season.
This is my preference. It shouldn’t be restrictive (for an owner). I guess it maybe has to be for competition mind. It’s just business yes? FFP being revamped is the way forward.
Think there should be a tax on all transfers regardless - if the £815m spent in Jan by EPL clubs had a 1% tax on it (£8.15m) that would have been over £150k for each of the 50 county FA's across the country to reinvest in grassroots football or about £2500-3000 per grassroots club.
As Fat Mike said, we can't compete against countries! I hate to say this, turns out the Cockney Slug was bang on the money!
Ashley was sort of right about the way to run a club, he was just the only one doing it that way. (I’m not defending his sickening approach to commercial deals, which alongside employing lackeys and lapdogs is a model nobody should replicate)
He was a businessman, not a football fan, there is the difference. So a model of keep costs to a bare minimum, pay the lowest prices and wages and maximise the profits might work for Sports Direct, but they domt have 50,000+ fans can't watching their shops doing their business every week.
Without doubt; I’m only talking about the City situation, though: FFP, particularly UEFAs, is so unfit for purpose and effectively strengthens the monopoly. It won’t continue now, the playing field will start to level a bit.
There is only one punishment if found guilty. Kick them out of the PL and relegate to division two, prohibit promotion for two years and impose a 5 year transfer embargo.
If guilty it has to be at least relegation to league 2. 20 point deduction for cheating to win multiple leagues and cups? It will have been totally worth it to them.
Punishment has to match the crime, if they are guilty. I'm fully expecting just a fine though, or a 10 point deduction or something which will mean nothing to them.
I'm assuming all of this has to happen before the season ends, right? I see a lot of the numbnuts on Sky have less than no clue, but my (limited) understanding was it would go like this: - Man City charged - Independent judiciary committee set up - PL provides evidence - Man C provides evidence - Decision made All within about a month or so of today. Someone said they can appeal the decision, but I thought the PL said that wasn't possible? Or did the PL just mean the Court of Arbitration can't be involved in the appeal, but an internal appeal is allowed?
There is a damning series of e-mails in the possession of the PL that demonstate that Man City were intentionally engaging in fraud in relation to sponsorship and issuing of inflated invoices for "services" to facilitate payment from club "partners." Payments used to buy players.
