UEFA opened an investigation against PSG without any evidence of wrongdoing. The City leaks definitely warrant an investigation, especially since there was no logic in PSG having one and not City in the first place. Of course the leaked data itself shouldn't be used in court if not confirmed by other means.
That's exactly why UEFA should reopen enquiries- to obtain new evidence in this case. It certainly warrants further investigation now.
Only if theres actually a case to be actually fought, if the rules were as tight and legal as they should be then the case would be dismissed, also thats not generally how things work in the ECJ because its not a like theres years and years worth of discovery to work through nor settlement negotiations, its a case of judicial review. Also, its UEFA we're talking about, a Supranational organisation. Not some local business getting their arse kicked by a multinational, of course you can buy better lawyers etc but theirs a process of diminishing returns, there's no one out there charging 1million dollars an hour fees. I very much doubt Uefa have some local no win no fee chump lawyer. Of course city are wealthy but UEFA don't do too badly.
There is always a case to be fought and the rules are rarely 'tight and legal' whatever that means. That's exactly how lawyers earn their living.
I know, I am one. And what I was saying is that the rules are required to be tightly restrained and legal within the Framework of European Law.
So am I
Maybe it's a jurisdictional difference we're having, or maybe you have different specialties than me but I really don't think they'd be able to. The rules on malicious litigation are pretty strict and the ECJ is a court which actually views cases very quickly. It's not a case where there'd be years and years of negotiations between parties and suits and countersuits like the old Samsung/Apple cases. It's literally a case of Judicial Review. Even if City were able to I'm not sure why it would be a bad thing. It's Uefa, not some minnow, they can afford lawyers themselves and if it finally gave FFP clarity id be more than happy for these companies to throw their millions at each other.So am I
And if you are too, you know you're being disingenuous in this whole argument, if you're suggesting that City wouldn't be able to hold this whole case up for years thanks to a legal team on an endless payroll.
I don't agree on the first part of your message, but I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree!
Yeh I suppose we'll have to agree to disagree. I think we have a different view of the effectiveness of the courts ahah, perhaps you've been in practice longer than me. But I still stand by that we could stop having these conversations about it if there was a proper challenge that either succeeded or got slapped back down by the courts. But in the mean time it looks like we'll just have to put up with these rules that dont make anyone happy, not properly enforced by UEFA for fear of action and pissed on by clubs for not being scary enough.
There was no fun in watching United lift the title 13 times in 20 years for City fans. City have won a grand total of 7 trophies in 10 years since the takeover. They've never retained a title and only since Guardiola has taken over have they even looked remotely like they'll be able to.
Becoming successful doesn’t happen overnight. But City are nearly there. Once they win the Champions League and if Pep decides to stay for 15 years you guys will dominate the league just like Juventus, PSG and Bayern are doing. The league will be dull as dishwater. And if someone else does win the league you will just outspend everyone. Not being funny you spent £200m when finishing 4th, £200m the season after then paid £67m for a player that isn’t a guaranteed starter, it’s become a joke.
So he's basically saying FIFA deliberately changed the rules (re wages) to trap City, that if City add up all of the allowances (and I'm not sure he's right about all of them), they might be ok, but.... doesn't comment on the value of the sponsorship deals (which I think have to be proven to be at close to market rates?)
United did it with a core of youth players, shrewdly acquired talent from abroad like Vidic, Stam, Evra etc and plenty of dubious squad players like O’Shea, Evans, Gibson, Phil Neville, Welbeck etc - they earned the right to win via valid strategy and sporting project; Guardiola has £60m substitutes.
Good timing, this was in The Grauniad today:
Eh?
I wasn't asked by for a ban from the premiership
not sure where my post stated that?It's a major punishment for the players, manager and club if they are banned from the European Cup.I wasn't asked by for a ban from the premiership
Just merely stating that a ban from the Champions League isn't really a punishment, it's like taking pocket money away from a teenager who's still got access to his bank account.
I agree it's up to the FA to punish City if these allegations are found to be true, but surely UEFA can come up with a longer term punishment rather than banning for a season or two,
But it's not really is it??
No.
They'd have the rubber stamp of cheats on them. It'd be nice to make it official.
Just a guess but make them stop doing whatever it is they allegedly did to get the banned in the first place.
Maybe the media and UEFA/FA are too chicken shit to do anything because of the previous threats of legal action.
But it's not worked previously, evident by the punishment they have had already?!
The punishments they've received in the past fines and minor squad restrictions were never going to deter them. But an actual ban from the Champions League most likely would make them take notice. A big part of the City project is the exposure the Champions League gives them, so they won't want a second ban i wouldn't imagine.
Indeed - they win because they have players on the bench who’d walk into every other team in the league, at the lowest point of overall quality in the Premier League era, yet pundits are wanking over them like they’ve developed their own class of 92, achieved what Clough did against the odds or done a Leicester.
The CL is the one competition City haven’t won yet. That’s the one they want. Of course it’s a big deal to be banned from it, you’re being silly.
Correct. They get a ban and it ends up in court. With a case that UEFA know damn well they have a fair chance of losing. And will cost them squillions to defend. All because they tried to introduce a 'rule' designed to protect a handful of self-entitled clubs who could see their place at the top table being threatened.
If City lost, they'd never compete in a UEFA competition again. A big risk for them too I imagine.
I wouldn't be so sure it's possible but i personally think if there was a case to be made and more importantly a high chance of winning that case. Then either Abu Dhabi and/or Qatar would have tried it by now. The same rules are in place for every club, all clubs including City and PSG agreed to abide by them. You can't agree to comply with rules, try to cheat them (if they have), get caught and then cry that the rules are unfair after the fact.
It is a protectionist rule, and I couldn't care less how City got around it. It had nothing whatever to do with preventing another Portsmouth or Leeds scenario. It was a bent rule to protect the elite. As Platini has essentially admitted. Therefore I don't care what my club had to do to circumvent it. We'll see how keen UEFA are to investigate this. My bet is that they will do everything possible to ignore it. Infantino was one of the brokers of the deal that saw City given a slap on the wrist initially.
