Man City [Now Not] Banned From UCL For 2 years

[SugarRay]

Only question is what happens now:

1. We finish 4th, ahead of Chelsea in 5th, who become the first team to qualify for the Champions League after finishing outside the top four TWICE.

2. We finish 5th. And then then ban gets overturned after the season.

To be fair, Chelsea won/bought the actual trophy themselves when they finished outside top 4 so “deserved” to qualify

 

[davidmatzdorf]

Don’t get your hopes up things like that don’t happen to us.
We will probably finish 5th, think we have qualified for the CL then city appeal and take their spot back in June

Close, but I think the chronology would be slightly different. Man City will appeal right away, but then their lawyers will string out the appeal process for long enough that the draw will be confirmed for next season's CL by the time it has been decided. That way, even if they lose the appeal, the ban won't take effect until the following year. That gives them an entire additional year to twist arms, bribe/extort people, get the rules changed and make financial adjustments to evade the rules more successfully.

 

[SugarRay]

I’m not sure UEFA are going to role over on this one or make concessions.

People are talking like this is something they’ve gone half hearted on. The arrogance of City’s owners is to be expected, quite possibly the most arrogant group of people on the planet, but don’t underestimate UEFA when it comes to these matters.
This isn’t Real Madrid or Barcelona. UEFA wont feel like they need City or their owners. People say money talks but I seriously doubt UEFA would risk jeoparding relationships with the proper big clubs and powerful football people. Anyway, City are in the fucking wrong and fully deserve punishment

 

[Tucker]

The city fans on blue moon cant see that they’ve done anything wrong. It’s kind of sad really, they all think there’s some kind of conspiracy against them, UEFA and the illuminati holding back their glorious rise to the top of the footballing tree. How do they all think they bloody got there? How do any of them believe that they went from losing 8-1 to Middlesbrough to signing the likes of Aguero and Silva and winning the league by a country mile.

Delusion isn‘t a strong enough word to describe the attitude on that forum.

 

[spursfan77]

This just serves as a reminder that, regardless of what they have won over the past decade, Manchester City are still just a small local club cheating their way to the top table with steroids. Even when some of the best football the country has ever been seen was being played at their stadium, there were still thousands of empty seats every week. Through the most in-your-face, dodgy, corrupt practices, a family with a long list of human rights abuses directly attributed to their names has turned them into their plaything, without a care in the world for who else they have screwed over along the way.

If we look at Tottenham alone, our past decade could have been very different had City (and Chelsea before them) not won the lottery. Ten years ago, Levy's first vision was finally coming to fruition, we had an emerging young side of talented players that played good football, assembled through intelligent scouting and careful budget planning. Modric, Bale, Lennon, Defoe, King, Dawson, Huddlestone, Rose and even a teenage Harry Kane - the foundations were there to build a top side for the next few years. We had been camped outside the gates of the Champions League for years, biding our time, waiting for one of the old "big four" to blink and drop out. Finally - Liverpool did, they made some terrible decisions on and off the pitch from 2008-2010 and their team fell to pieces. It should have been our moment to capitalise. It should have been our turn. But instead, this small local club who had already tried selling their soul and dignity to a disgraced Thai politician, suddenly muscled their way in ahead of us. Who knows how things could have turned out differently for us if Man City's squad was still made up of players of the calibre of Emile Mpenza and Rolando Bianchi. Logically, we'd have been looking at four more Champions League qualifications over the past decade just by virtue of having finished one place behind those who did qualify with City occupying one of those four places. Think what that extra exposure and revenue (especially pre-stadium construction) could have meant for us at that point. Would Modric and Bale's heads have been turned as quickly as they were if we'd been Champions League regulars? What if we'd actually been able to sign players like Craig Bellamy, Gareth Barry and Sergio Aguero, all of which we bid for, only to be completely blown out of the water by ridiculous offers of money from Man City? What if this hadn't had the knock on effect to distort the market, where agents representing our transfer targets saw this kind of activity from City and decided that therefore, their players were "worth" way more in wages than they actually were? What if, at the time we finally had a side that looked good enough to win the league, Kyle Walker hadn't received a "treble your money" offer from them?

We tried to do things by the book. Fairly, ethically, morally - the right way that every club should be proud of. And City came along with their financial doping and spoilt it. They might not have directly knocked us out of any cups, or beaten us in the two title races we were involved in. But make no mistake, this behaviour from Man City has had a huge hindrance on our fortunes over the past decade. And for that reason, I am over the moon with this ruling. Fuck Manchester City, fuck their spoilt and tiny fan base and fuck their evil owners - you have had it coming and quite frankly you have gotten off lightly.

Such a good post.

Also may I add, the money that clubs received for players bought by Man City have distorted the league and other leagues across Europe. Liverpool getting money for Sterling for example helped them build their current team.

They have properly muddied the waters is so many different ways.

 

[Trix]

They won't get this overturned. Best outcome for them will be a reduction, but even then o think it's very doubtful.

The evidence is overwhelming and the coafs very rarely goes against a governing body over sanctions for rule breaking.

 

[ToDarrenIsToDo]

They won't get this overturned. Best outcome for them will be a reduction, but even then o think it's very doubtful.

The evidence is overwhelming and the coafs very rarely goes against a governing body over sanctions for rule breaking.

I wonder if an appeal will prolong this and give them access to play in Europe next season however though Trix

 

[allatsea]

The city fans on blue moon cant see that they’ve done anything wrong. It’s kind of sad really, they all think there’s some kind of conspiracy against them, UEFA and the illuminati holding back their glorious rise to the top of the footballing tree. How do they all think they bloody got there? How do any of them believe that they went from losing 8-1 to Middlesbrough to signing the likes of Aguero and Silva and winning the league by a country mile.

Delusion isn‘t a strong enough word to describe the attitude on that forum.

They were on the point of closing down before Shinawaka (spelling) and is ill gotten gains bought them out and then sold them on to oil money.

 

[spursfan77]

They were on the point of closing down before Shinawaka (spelling) and is ill gotten gains bought them out and then sold them on to oil money.

Same as Chelsea with Banks and Abrahmovich and Liverpool and Fenway. I guess us and sugar as well but to a very small degree

 

[nattydredd]

If the ban gets overturned people will say UEFA took a bung. I don't think they'll let that happen. At the end of the day it's their competition.

If it does get overturned, UEFA will have a more serious problem. It would represent an existential threat to UEFA itself. UEFA have to make a stand here, otherwise they will have to admit that the clubs make the rules. I can't see this happening here, but it's a funny old game.

Fireworks are ahead for all concerned....

 

[rez9000]

Remember Palace fans producing a banner criticising Abramovich and how he is ruining the game. Did it kickstart an uprising? Nope, Palace got fined by the premier league

That tells you everything we need to know. Football can be bought at the highest level, those in charge willingly sell the game to highest bidder. The absolute scum in charge of City are almost a perfect fit for those that run the game.

True, but imagine if EVERY club’s fans unfurled a banner at their games?

What you say is correct - the game is utterly in thrall to money. With sports journalism being the ineffectual hollow chamber that it is (the odd Independent article notwithstanding), the only possible driver of change is the fans. But we’ll never bring it about as the extent of our activity is that solitary banner at Selhurst Park.

 

[JamieSpursCommunityUser]

I'm not so sure CAS will be any more lenient on City.

First of all the Chelsea punishment was from FIFA not UEFA, and for a different offence which doesn't directly corrupt the outcome of the CL and PL competitions.

Secondly there are two offences here. 1) Breaching FFP rules and 2) committing fraud not just to UEFA but also against every club they have competed against who have played by the rules.

Whether City believe FFP rules are their particular vision of what professional sport should be are irrelevant. Other sugar daddy clubs may feel likewise but haven't cheated. Not to our knowledge at least. Nobody lied to City about what the rule were, they knew them, they broke them, and they lied to all of their competitors to cheat an advantage.

I think it's certain that the PL will apply a points deduction, because they will have to. How can QPR face a points deduction in the Championship for overspending, and City not only get away with that but also for knowingly submitting fraudulent numbers?

The EPL have a 3 to 12 point deduction for overspending against FFP - thats with "honest" accounts. The PL interestingly has been considering standard points punishment since December - perhaps in knowing City were guilty.

Premier League consider introducing fixed points deductions

Top-flight clubs are pushing for more clarity on how the Premier League intend to enforce their regulations in the belief it would provide a greater deterrent to overspending.

www.dailymail.co.uk

So with a point deduction City may well have a fight on their hands to finish 4th this season anyway. Will they still want a lengthy appeal if they finish 5th?

They would also damage their CAS case were they not to appeal any PL points sanction. So will they want to risk any PL points rolled over to next season?

Furthermore I wonder the legal recourse for every team they've denied income because of their fraud. Any team that has finished 5th or been knocked out of the CL group and knock out stages as a consequence of City cheating the rules.

So I'm not sure this will be quite so easy for them to get away with as some are suggesting.

 

[SugarRay]

True, but imagine if EVERY club’s fans unfurled a banner at their games?

What you say is correct - the game is utterly in thrall to money. With sports journalism being the ineffectual hollow chamber that it is (the odd Independent article notwithstanding), the only possible driver of change is the fans. But we’ll never bring it about as the extent of our activity is that solitary banner at Selhurst Park.

A simple, very catchy, anti-Abu Dhabi song, which is sung by fans of every opponent City face throughout a season would be nice. A variation of it, deriding Arbamovich would quickly follow too I reckon.

 

[For the love of Spurs]

On the basis on this fraud the Premier League have to expel City. Anything less would not be reflective of the crime they have committed.

 

[Tucker]

A simple, very catchy, anti-Abu Dhabi song, which is sung by fans of every opponent City face throughout a season would be nice. A variation of it, deriding Arbamovich would quickly follow too I reckon.

Roses are Red
City are blue
Without Sheikh Mansour
They’d be in league two.

 

[SugarRay]

Roses are Red
City are blue
Without Sheikh Mansour
They’d be in league two.

That’s the spirit! Good start but needs to be nastier, the sort of thing Sky and BT would try and block out

 

[Lilbaz]

So n

Appeal due, if I'm right, the punishment is suspended until the appeal is heard? So the appeal will be mostly opinion (as DM says above, it's going to come down to definitions to decide if they have broken rules) so will almost certainly drag on for months, if not years, but it is refreshing to at least see this token gesture from UEFA to impose a punishment that could genuinely be dangerous for most clubs remaining top flight in this day and age, where the CL is the money tree.

Unfortunate that they picked one of maybe three or four clubs that are funded by bottomless pits of money and who could soak up pretty much any punishment - if it's even upheld for one year, you can guarantee some mystery tournament will spring up in Saudi Arabia that will provide enough prize money and press coverage to keep them vaguely relevant in the meantime.

Cas cases are usually very quick once started.

 

[Lilbaz]

Well, seeing as it’s their competition, I suspect they can take on and comfortably beat anyone who plays within it.

I remember a Simpsons episode where they created a social club for men called ‘the no Homers club’, not a bad idea that!?

Bit homerphobic.

 

[Lilbaz]

They won't get this overturned. Best outcome for them will be a reduction, but even then o think it's very doubtful.

The evidence is overwhelming and the coafs very rarely goes against a governing body over sanctions for rule breaking.

Ac milan being banned was big. City can't argue that a ban is unfair on them.

 

[SirHarryHotspur]

According to BBC timeline https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51511036 its taken just under a year for UEFA to reach the verdict for a ban , now have to see how long City lawyers can now string out the appeal , their initial bid to stop the investigation failed so who knows maybe the ban will stick.