Hello everyone, it is Monday once again so I am back with another blog post… however this one is a bit tricky as we really are smack in the middle of a LONG international break and due to that there is not much Tottenham to talk about.
I could discuss how some players have picked up knocks while away with their countries.. shock I know right!? I could discuss how some who stayed behind are doing well, like Kudus is looking fitter and sharper AND just to really shock you a man called Dejan ‘Just a Knock’ Kulusevski is looking good too…
BUT no.. today I am going to have a little chat about Manchester City, the Premier league and what happens now because its a big old mess and one which I actually fear will rumble on for a long, long time.
For those football fans living under a rock / actually have lives unlike me… its possible you might not know about the situation in the blue half of Manchester, so, here is a brief a summary as I can muster: THEY CHEATED!
Okay, so maybe I will add a little more. In essence the Premier league and an independent panel have found that of 116 charges, Manchester City are guilty of 115 offences and breaches of Premier league rules. If you want a full details breakdown a Google search is your friend but to keep it simple here they inflated their income figures for the club so that they could pass tests and allow greater spending on players and player wages so that they could achieve sporting success faster.
They have lodged an appeal but as was explained by the Premier league they have been found guilty after an exhaustive process so now is not a time where you can provide fresh evidence, this is where you can appeal on the grounds of errors in the investigation, the findings etc.
The Premier league in the past has hammered clubs quickly with a fine and a point deduction for breaking the rules, Everton an example where it was later dialed back a bit as deemed harsh. The Chelsea case, a personal frustration of mine, was largely done quickly and without massive sanctions as they managed to pin the blame on the outgoing owner and did cooperate fully allowing it to be done quickly. Manchester City have NOT cooperated and therefore to date the legal bill for the Premier league for this is alredy well over £100m.
During this period of ‘financial doping’ Man City became one of the most decorated clubs in English football, winning multiple titles and cups (including beating us in the League Cup final… Ryan Mason as a manager should have a trophy to his name ha ha) but I do not think its the titles and cups being stripped away that actually worries Man City, I am sure not a nice thought but I think what is a major worry is a clause that is in most if not all contracts across the UK.
This clause is a sort of guarantee of good faith by both parties entering the agreement that everything is ‘above board’ and you are not breaking any rules. From a club perspective that means they can terminate a player contract or refuse to pay should they fail a drugs test or do something else horrible / law breaking.
On the reverse however; what if a player is told he can rip up his contract as the club broke this clause, what if every staff member and player at the club are allowed to do that. What if the club are relegated, do you think every player there will stay. Haaland will have a call from Madrid with a truck of cash parked outside his house faster than you can say ‘hey Jude, its me again…’ and who would blame the player?
So, I think that is why Man City are fighting and why I think at some point there will be a deal announced where Manchester City do not concede they broke the rules, more they are going to accept a punishment in order to draw a line under it all. A sort of admission but denial all rolled into one.
Their denial means there players are still locked in, their accepting of a punishment meant its done.
Like every blog post this is all opinion, my opinion, so I could be wrong… let me know what you think.
-Admin SJ
