When will Man City face justice?

[Marka Ragnos]

For background, if needed. I've been surprised at how seldom this seems to get mentioned in the mainstream media these days, but maybe there's not much to say given the secrecy of the process? It would be like a tornado ripping through English football -- a very nice tornado, to my mind. I have a hunch it will be sooner than expected, but not this year, sadly.
 

Quote

 

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester City’s ruthless run to the Premier League title can be traced back to the morning of Feb. 6, when the club was hit with more than 100 charges of financial wrongdoing.

City has not lost a game in any competition since then and is on track to win three trophies, having also advanced to the finals of the Champions League and the FA Cup.

But even if the accusations made by the Premier League appear to have marked a turning point in potentially the most successful season in the club’s history, they continue to cast a cloud over City’s years of dominance in English soccer.

 

 

[Genie]

This isn’t google  

[Zhan_Zhuang]

They are untouchable, nothing will be done as they are too powerful.

Newcastlearabia will follow their example and be even more powerful potentially.

[villan95]

My guess is they will face consequences which they will contest and it will drag on for a couple of years.

[Davkaus]

They'll be punished in the next couple of years, I reckon, but it hardly matters, it won't be justice. No punishment they get will undo 15 years of developing infrastructure and growing a global fanbase and revenue stream that's illegitimate.

[HanoiVillan]

I said next season because that's when the hearing is and I do believe they'll get a punishment, but of course whether those consequences are 'serious' is up for debate and I suspect basically no realistic punishment would satisfy most non-City fans. 

[Kiwivillan]

It's been announced months ago that hearing will take place August 24 with judgement likely summer 25. Might be some appeal but they can't go to CAS this time. I think they'll get kicked out of the league. They will not get a "slap on the wrist". 

[Sulberto21]

5 minutes ago, Kiwivillan said:

It's been announced months ago that hearing will take place August 24 with judgement likely summer 25. Might be some appeal but they can't go to CAS this time. I think they'll get kicked out of the league. They will not get a "slap on the wrist". 

Not a chance they get kicked out of the league. The Saudi government won’t allow it. The British government will be involved. They’re just going to get a massive fine, funding to grassroots and a meaningless points deduction. 

[VillaChris]

Pep f***ing off will hurt them more so that would be decent punishment if it coincides with a significant points penalty during a season.

[Chindie]

They will get the limpest of limp wrist slaps.

Fines are meaningless, points deductions even in the extreme don't meet the crime, relegation just **** the Championship for a season and makes them go away for a year.

They will get a superficially large fine and a superficially large points deduction which hands Liverpool the league for a season and the matter will be considered closed and the League will wipe it's brow and breathe a sigh of relief, and Citeh will be performatively annoyed but happy behind closed doors.

Actual justice for their crimes would basically need the club as it exists to be entirely eradicated - not demotion, deletion. No chucking to the bottom of the pyramid, just no more club. Their fans will have to start a new club at the very bottom, no stadium, no infrastructure, no connection to the tainted PR department of Abu Dhabi at all.

Which isn't going to happen. So the worst they'll get is something that looks superficially tough, that maybe hurts their prospects for a single season, and that'll be it.

[Kiwivillan]

33 minutes ago, Sulberto21 said:

Not a chance they get kicked out of the league. The Saudi government won’t allow it. The British government will be involved. They’re just going to get a massive fine, funding to grassroots and a meaningless points deduction. 

They're not owned by Saudi. The UK government has told PL to get house in order or they will step in regards regulation

[The Fun Factory]

No chance that they will get  into serious trouble. Football is showbiz now and City are one of the star attractions. They will probably get a hefty fine and a ten point deduction for one season.

[HanoiVillan]

39 minutes ago, Chindie said:

They will get the limpest of limp wrist slaps.

Fines are meaningless, points deductions even in the extreme don't meet the crime, relegation just **** the Championship for a season and makes them go away for a year.

They will get a superficially large fine and a superficially large points deduction which hands Liverpool the league for a season and the matter will be considered closed and the League will wipe it's brow and breathe a sigh of relief, and Citeh will be performatively annoyed but happy behind closed doors.

Actual justice for their crimes would basically need the club as it exists to be entirely eradicated - not demotion, deletion. No chucking to the bottom of the pyramid, just no more club. Their fans will have to start a new club at the very bottom, no stadium, no infrastructure, no connection to the tainted PR department of Abu Dhabi at all.

Which isn't going to happen. So the worst they'll get is something that looks superficially tough, that maybe hurts their prospects for a single season, and that'll be it.

You're right, none of that is going to happen. It's not even clear to me how forcing the closure of a club with 144 years of history would be 'justice'. 

[Chindie]

20 minutes ago, HanoiVillan said:

You're right, none of that is going to happen. It's not even clear to me how forcing the closure of a club with 144 years of history would be 'justice'. 

What justice can there be when they've broken the game with a decade of fraudulently won titles and deformed the market in the game globally?

I'm not a Citeh fan so have no love for their history, but I can say a couple of things. Firstly, they enjoyed their good times but the bill comes due - if those good times came at illegal cost, that bill should hurt a lot. Secondly, they haven't always been Manchester City. They can have the foundation of a new team be part of their history. They effectively became a new club with Citeh's skin when they became a part of a nation states propaganda department anyway.

I **** hate Citeh. **** em. Write a new, thick, heavy, hard book, and throw it at them until they're dead.

[Sulberto21]

5 hours ago, Kiwivillan said:

They're not owned by Saudi. The UK government has told PL to get house in order or they will step in regards regulation

Saudi run the whole region. If Saudi tell UAE to jump they’ll say off which building.

[DakotaVilla]

6 hours ago, Kiwivillan said:

They're not owned by Saudi. The UK government has told PL to get house in order or they will step in regards regulation

Nothing meaningful will happen to Man City because this is not about football it’s about politics. Just the same way that Boris Johnson forced the premier league to allow Saudi to buy Newcastle.

The UK government (whether conservative or Labour) is never in a million years going to go out of its way to potentially upset Abu Dhabi who are investing Billions of pounds in the UK. 

They’ll all let this expensive legal dance continue until no sporting penalties can be levied and they’ll then get a slap on the wrist meaningless financial penalty. the uk govt has already admitted that the matter was discussed in foreign office meetings but refused to share minutes of the meeting!

[Genie]

1 hour ago, Sulberto21 said:

Saudi run the whole region. If Saudi tell UAE to jump they’ll say off which building.

I can’t see Saudi wanting to get involved in someone else’s problems like this. They’ll watch closely, but not get involved.

Signs since they bought Newcastle are that they are not playing the game the same way the City owners did/are.

[Zatman]

7 hours ago, The Fun Factory said:

No chance that they will get  into serious trouble. Football is showbiz now and City are one of the star attractions. They will probably get a hefty fine and a ten point deduction for one season.

Are City one of the star attractions though? They win at a boring pace that I dont think neutrals would be even that bothered. Of the scum 6 they are probably spoken about the least

[Genie]

The league have to at least try and make something serious stick otherwise everyone with rich owners will just f*** the rules.

[villa4europe]

Judgement will be summer 25, punishment will be a points deduction for the 24/25 season that puts them either 4th or 5th depending on who qualifies for the CL, a huge fine reduced on appeal, a 2 year transfer ban which will be reduced to 1 on appeal 

No stripping of titles, no relegation 

Back slapping all round, even the appeal will be tokenism 

The only hope is that city have an off season next season rather than finish 10+ points clear of 4th

Edit - based on last season + the assumption that 5th get CL still then last year they could have taken 20 points off them, they'd have lost their title but still get CL

That's my prediction, a points deduction that maybe loses them a title but not CL

Edited January 2 by villa4europe