City's "sponsors" do not exist

Champ

Refuses to acknowledge existence of Ukraine
Joined
Jun 17, 2017
Messages
9,888
Yeah this one stinks. How do they hide the extra payments to Dortmund and agents though.
Didn't they give Mancini a 'consultancy' role as well as his managerial job, that way they could pay him as a manager a relatively low wage, then off the books pay him a consultancy role from the owners which trebled his wages?

I'd imagine they'd be doing something similar here, maybe this journalist should investigate Haalands old man's finances, might find that he has suddenly become a consultant for City Football Group!!
 

stevoc

Full Member
Joined
Jun 11, 2011
Messages
19,836
He took over a club that had just won a treble and all he did was win the one team league.

The problem with the yanks is that they simply do not understand football. They are in it to make money like our pig owners. Atleast Roman and the Middle Eastern States are actually passionate about it. Not that any of them are saints.
Yeah I seriously doubt that, the guy that is supposed to be City's owner has been only been to watch City play about once or twice in his life. And as far as I know the ruler of Abu Dhabi has never actually been once.
 

horsechoker

The Caf's Roy Keane.
Joined
Apr 16, 2015
Messages
51,376
Location
The stable
Yeah I seriously doubt that, the guy that is supposed to be City's owner has been only been to watch City play about once or twice in his life. And as far as I know the ruler of Abu Dhabi has never actually been once.
It's difficult to get tickets, they sell out so fast.
 

crossy1686

career ending
Joined
Jun 5, 2010
Messages
31,486
Location
Manchester/Stockholm
UEFA will fine them, so they can take their cut.
They won't, this a common scam in China. This company will be posting fake earnings and data to make it look like they're a rapidly growing company, which will increase their stock exponentially and then they'll disappear with the money.
 

stevoc

Full Member
Joined
Jun 11, 2011
Messages
19,836
It's difficult to get tickets, they sell out so fast.
True I forgot about that. Plus I heard there was a few other times he wanted to go but the traffic was bad in Gorton so he just went to Nando's instead.
 

ExecutionerWasp001

Full Member
Joined
Mar 3, 2019
Messages
439
One would hope it would lead to some kind of action against City, but I am not holding my breath. There would be many people in football structures around the world who benefit from City's under the table deals.
The only way they fall down is if they come across somebody who can't be bought. It's going to take a very brave man to do this though. The person would be quite literally taking their life into their own hands. Make accusations against our owners you would be looking at a court case. Make accusations against clubs like City & Newcastle & there's a good chance you disappear.

I think this is one of the main reasons for the lack of protests from the big PL clubs. There have been a few strong letters sent to the FA & UEFA but not much else. No effort is being made to run state funded clubs out of football. The owners of the big PL clubs only care about profits yet don't seem to be taking any action to protect them.
 

little.triangles

New Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2022
Messages
306
The only way they fall down is if they come across somebody who can't be bought. It's going to take a very brave man to do this though. The person would be quite literally taking their life into their own hands. Make accusations against our owners you would be looking at a court case. Make accusations against clubs like City & Newcastle & there's a good chance you disappear.

I think this is one of the main reasons for the lack of protests from the big PL clubs. There have been a few strong letters sent to the FA & UEFA but not much else. No effort is being made to run state funded clubs out of football. The owners of the big PL clubs only care about profits yet don't seem to be taking any action to protect them.
I think it could also be that a lot of journalists in the UK have been bought off. Even the Guardian writers write sympathetically about City, but when it comes to Qatar, the gloves are off and there have been pieces periodically about the abuse of workers building the stadiums (there was one just yesterday).
 

Thunderhead

Full Member
Joined
Nov 2, 2016
Messages
3,154
Supports
City
Yeah I seriously doubt that, the guy that is supposed to be City's owner has been only been to watch City play about once or twice in his life. And as far as I know the ruler of Abu Dhabi has never actually been once.
why would the ruler of Abu Dhabi go and watch City?
 

Lentwood

Full Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2015
Messages
6,783
Location
West Didsbury, Manchester
How come in football cheating is just accepted and if you question it or express your distaste, YOU'RE the one who is criticised???

In Athletics, if you dope, you're a cheat. You're stripped of your medals and banned.

Likewise, in Formula 1, if your car doesn't meet the rules or you have over-spent, you're punished with actual penalties that mean something on the track.

I could go on but you all get the gist. City flout the rules every year. We know it, they know it, FIFA/UEFA know it.

I have been nothing but full of praise for our biggest rivals Liverpool and how they have basically built one of the all-time great teams on a relatively tight budget under the stewardship of a world-class Sporting Director and Head Coach combination.

City, however, are just cheats in my book. Their success is meaningless and should have an asterisk in the footballing History books. It effectively does anyway, since very few people outside Stockport and East Manchester give them any credit.
 

Chesterlestreet

Man of the crowd
Joined
Oct 19, 2012
Messages
19,505
UEFA will fine them, so they can take their cut.
I have a pragmatic suggestion with regard to this:

Why don't UEFA start punishing certain breaches/violations with genuinely hefty fines, a set percentage of which has to be spent on grassroots football (or even non-football related charitable causes)?

This could be based on revenue. A struggling minnow that is in breach of FFP regulations wouldn't be fined heavily - but City (who supposedly have a huge, healthy and totally legit income from sponsorships and whatnot) would be.

Their owners wouldn't give a feck, they can easily afford it anyway.

Let the cheaters cheat - they will anyway. But exploit their cheating, use it for something good.

(...oh, right. UEFA are corrupt as feck, I forgot about that.)
 

Smithy89

Full Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2014
Messages
3,218
Corrected for accuracy.
Yeah, let's totally forget about the criminals in charge or clubs. What you've said is not wrong but Roman, Saudis, etc are disgusting humans and should never be involved in the game.
 

Piratesoup

Full Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2013
Messages
6,939
Supports
Bayern München
And put your little hand in mine
There ain′t no hill or mountain we can't climb

Babe
I got you babe
I got you babe
 

Dumbstar

We got another woman hater here.
Joined
Jul 18, 2002
Messages
21,133
Location
Viva Karius!
Supports
Liverpool
Yeah, let's totally forget about the criminals in charge or clubs. What you've said is not wrong but Roman, Saudis, etc are disgusting humans and should never be involved in the game.
If you open your front door and let the known rapists and murderers freely walk in to rape and murder your family, who's really to blame?
 

JSArsenal

Full Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2013
Messages
1,730
Probably the same way as what we've heard reported from time to time over the years: agents and board members suddenly becoming the discreet owners of newly-built Abu Dhabi penthouses and things like that. Or they could just straight-up hand them some cash under the table. None of us have any way of finding that out, and the governing bodies have proven unwilling to look into these things. Every now and then, there's an article about how City pay more than they report by "compensating" the recipient in other ways. Since there have been no meaningful consequences, these reports don't amount to much and get little attention outside of rivals' football forums. Wouldn't surprise me in the least if the agent(s) involved in that transfer suddenly became the owners of properties the UAE, which they can then keep or sell at their discretion without anyone finding out. It's hardly going to create controversies over there when the country itself is in on the deal, so it's very easy to pull off without any media attention.
This isn't new. Didn't Spurs buy Gazza's parents a house?

Wenger also hinted that Chelsea's official wage bill didn't truly reflect their finances years ago.

I'm not saying it's right or that the FA/whoever shouldn't do something about it, just that the rot isn't with City alone.
 

Thunderhead

Full Member
Joined
Nov 2, 2016
Messages
3,154
Supports
City
I think it could also be that a lot of journalists in the UK have been bought off. Even the Guardian writers write sympathetically about City, but when it comes to Qatar, the gloves are off and there have been pieces periodically about the abuse of workers building the stadiums (there was one just yesterday).
rubbish, David Conn who is a City fan and Guardian columnist often writes about human rights abuses in Abu Dhabi,
Probably the same way as what we've heard reported from time to time over the years: agents and board members suddenly becoming the discreet owners of newly-built Abu Dhabi penthouses and things like that. Or they could just straight-up hand them some cash under the table. None of us have any way of finding that out, and the governing bodies have proven unwilling to look into these things. Every now and then, there's an article about how City pay more than they report by "compensating" the recipient in other ways. Since there have been no meaningful consequences, these reports don't amount to much and get little attention outside of rivals' football forums. Wouldn't surprise me in the least if the agent(s) involved in that transfer suddenly became the owners of properties the UAE, which they can then keep or sell at their discretion without anyone finding out. It's hardly going to create controversies over there when the country itself is in on the deal, so it's very easy to pull off without any media attention.

can you show me one of these articles? I've never seen them
 

Fluctuation0161

Full Member
Joined
Aug 8, 2016
Messages
8,156
Location
Manchester
Didn't they give Mancini a 'consultancy' role as well as his managerial job, that way they could pay him as a manager a relatively low wage, then off the books pay him a consultancy role from the owners which trebled his wages?

I'd imagine they'd be doing something similar here, maybe this journalist should investigate Haalands old man's finances, might find that he has suddenly become a consultant for City Football Group!!
Or get him a football club like Peps brother at Girona FC.
 

Fluctuation0161

Full Member
Joined
Aug 8, 2016
Messages
8,156
Location
Manchester
This isn't new. Didn't Spurs buy Gazza's parents a house?

Wenger also hinted that Chelsea's official wage bill didn't truly reflect their finances years ago.

I'm not saying it's right or that the FA/whoever shouldn't do something about it, just that the rot isn't with City alone.
They are the biggest offenders, by far though. Much more relevant and frequent for City than Gazza getting a house in the 90s or Wenger making a hint in the 00s. :lol:

I suppose Arsenal benefit now getting the City cast offs...
 

Champ

Refuses to acknowledge existence of Ukraine
Joined
Jun 17, 2017
Messages
9,888
rubbish, David Conn who is a City fan and Guardian columnist often writes about human rights abuses in Abu Dhabi,



can you show me one of these articles? I've never seen them
You just need to read Der Speigels report on the matter, Guardian has also reported this multiple times.

Heck, I've even got a scanned copy of Mancini's City contract featuring the fictitious consultancy company on it!

It's all out there in the open, just the Premier League are dragging their heels with the investigation, probably hoping it will blow over. Three years and counting now the investigation, despite evidence being all around!
 

Thunderhead

Full Member
Joined
Nov 2, 2016
Messages
3,154
Supports
City
You just need to read Der Speigels report on the matter, Guardian has also reported this multiple times.

Heck, I've even got a scanned copy of Mancini's City contract featuring the fictitious consultancy company on it!

It's all out there in the open, just the Premier League are dragging their heels with the investigation, probably hoping it will blow over. Three years and counting now the investigation, despite evidence being all around!
The Guardian said it couldn't verify the documents Der Spiegle used, and this was down to how they paid image rights, not compensating players in other ways
 

Champ

Refuses to acknowledge existence of Ukraine
Joined
Jun 17, 2017
Messages
9,888
The Guardian said it couldn't verify the documents Der Spiegle used, and this was down to how they paid image rights, not compensating players in other ways
The documents were 100% real, hence the hacker who stole the documents being on trial for doing just that!
 

Thunderhead

Full Member
Joined
Nov 2, 2016
Messages
3,154
Supports
City
The documents were 100% real, hence the hacker who stole the documents being on trial for doing just that!
I think you're missing my point, no doubt they've broken rules left right and centre my point is you're saying they're compensating players in different ways, the examples in Die Spiegle was for image rights which was payed by the club to the players like every other club does then Mansour allegedly financed that company, apart from Mancini I've never seen anything and even Die Spiegle from what I've seen has never uncovered anything where they were compensating players in different ways
 

Solius

¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Staff
Joined
Dec 31, 2007
Messages
86,290
Just an apathetic attitude to this really from most of the media and social media.

It should be headline news but it's just accepted. Their success will always have an asterisk next to it whether officially or not.
 

ExecutionerWasp001

Full Member
Joined
Mar 3, 2019
Messages
439
I think it could also be that a lot of journalists in the UK have been bought off. Even the Guardian writers write sympathetically about City, but when it comes to Qatar, the gloves are off and there have been pieces periodically about the abuse of workers building the stadiums (there was one just yesterday).
There's no doubt they have bought off the press. The hacks get treated very well at home games. Lot's of free food & drink & other benefits. It's a smart play on their part. Much easier to have the gutter press eulogising about you if you treat them well.

City went to court to try to stop any reporting of the PL investigation. The only paper who challenged it were The Mail. They managed to get the reporting restrictions lifted. To their credit they have run stories about the case. On the other hand though they have Oliver Holt writing columns every week regularly praising the City model & their works within the community yet bashing Newcastle & their sell out to the Saudi's.
 

Thunderhead

Full Member
Joined
Nov 2, 2016
Messages
3,154
Supports
City
There's no doubt they have bought off the press. The hacks get treated very well at home games. Lot's of free food & drink & other benefits. It's a smart play on their part. Much easier to have the gutter press eulogising about you if you treat them well.

City went to court to try to stop any reporting of the PL investigation. The only paper who challenged it were The Mail. They managed to get the reporting restrictions lifted. To their credit they have run stories about the case. On the other hand though they have Oliver Holt writing columns every week regularly praising the City model & their works within the community yet bashing Newcastle & their sell out to the Saudi's.
Press get decent free food and drink at every ground and have done for years, I'm interested to know what other benefits they get?
 

Rooney in Paris

Gerrard shirt..Anfield? You'll Never Live it Down
Scout
Joined
Mar 11, 2010
Messages
35,611
Location
In an elephant sanctuary
Press get decent free food and drink at every ground and have done for years, I'm interested to know what other benefits they get?
Not related specifically to your point, but do you genuinely believe that Manchester City operate above the board, and with the same approach as other clubs in England or across Europe?
 

bringbackbebe

Full Member
Joined
Dec 9, 2021
Messages
1,648
Shocking! Given this has come to light, UEFA will definitely wake up to this and ban City from Europe, put an embargo on transfers for the next 2 years and strip them off their previous 2 titles.

Or simply accept a bribe and bury this under the carpet. This is more likely to happen.
 

Sky1981

Fending off the urge
Joined
Apr 12, 2006
Messages
30,002
Location
Under the bright neon lights of sincity
You guys knows that most bookies can't legally operate in most Asians countries right?

Sbobet have to constantly change their web name to catch Indonesian market. Using local personal account as account deposits