So here we are again. On Monday, the Premier League said Manchester City was behind more than 100 breaches of the league’s financial rules from 2009 to 2018. They also claim City have not co-operated with their investigators since it began in 2019. This is a charge never before leveled at a of the divisions’ clubs. If City are found guilty, they could be stripped of points or titles, fined or kicked out of the league. City has experienced something similar before. In 2020, UEFA said they had breached their financial rules from 2012 to 2016, banning them from the Champions League for two years. City appealed the verdict in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) – and won. Then several rivals felt that football clubs owned by states – like City – can spend as much money as they want without being punished. But now the Premier League is putting its foot down. This time the rules are different. And there is a reason this is happening right now. Nightmare The central part of the case is the rules that state how much money a football club can spend on players. These were introduced by UEFA in 2011, because so many rich owners bought up clubs. The rules limited how big a deficit clubs could agree to on player purchases and salaries. In this way, owners could not use their private fortunes to acquire stars. Later, the Premier League introduced its own version of UEFA’s rules. This was a nightmare for City, who were bought by the royal family of Abu Dhabi in 2008. They wanted to use their wealth to buy success, fast, but were now thwarted. In fact, City were able to spend less than their biggest rivals, who earned more via “legitimate” income such as tickets, sponsors and kit sales. But City have spent a lot of money nonetheless. They have won six league titles since 2008. They have also been accused of “cheating” the regulations. OWNER: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, here from a Premier League match in 2010. He is from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. Photo: ANDREW YATES / Afp Valueless rules Since money from sponsors can be used to buy players, City has entered into agreements with several partners who are directly or indirectly linked to the Emirates. The central figure behind these agreements is Khaldoon Al-Mubarak. He is both chairman of the board of City and general manager of Mubadala, the company that manages the resources of the Emirates. City’s main sponsor is, for example, Etihad Airways, one of two state-owned airlines in the Emirates. This is not illegal in itself, as long as the values of the agreements are not unnaturally high. But in 2018, German newspaper Der Spiegel published documents accusing City of breaking the rules, including by misrepresenting income to UEFA. City denied any blame. They won in CAS because the accusations were either not established enough, or because they were out of date. With that, they smashed UEFA’s control over their own tournament. What was the point of these rules, if violations were not punished? SUCCESS: Khaldoon Al-Mubarak (tv) and Pep Guardiola celebrate one of the many league titles they have won in England. Photo: OLI SCARFF / AFP Earns the most in the world Since then, City has continued with sponsors who are connected to the Emirates. For the past two years, City have topped the list of the clubs with the most revenue in the world, ahead of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United. Meanwhile, the other two state-owned clubs have continued to invest: Paris Saint-Germain (Qatar) and Newcastle (Saudi Arabia). The latter has climbed from the bottom to the top tier of the Premier League. – They can do what they want, Jürgen Klopp said of the three teams in October. Several have agreed with Klopp. But along the way, the Premier League’s own investigation into City has bubbled in the background. It started in March 2019. On Monday, it emerged how many accusations the Premier League has made. It is about cheating from 2009 to 2018, i.e. almost the entire period that Al-Mubarak has been chairman of the board. In the Premier League, City cannot appeal to CAS. There are also no rules that events can become obsolete. DESPAIRED: Erling Braut Haaland was very despondent during the loss against Tottenham yesterday. Main sponsor Etihad Airways adorns the kit. Photo: DAVID KLEIN / Reuters Liga under pressure The timing is hardly accidental. This is happening at a time when the British government will soon present plans for an independent panel to help govern the Premier League. In the last two years alone, the Premier League has approved the sale of Newcastle to Saudi Arabia’s oil fund, despite major protests surrounding the country’s gross violations of human rights. The six biggest clubs tried to found a super league in 2021, without success. Most of the trust in the economic rules has gone down the drain. According to The Athletic, this is one of the reasons why Liverpool’s owners want to sell the club. In fact, the government was supposed to table proposals for a panel very soon. Then the Premier League hit the table with the accusations against City, and the government’s plans have now been postponed until later this month. The charges will now be assessed by an independent committee. City maintains its innocence. It may take a long time before a decision is reached. New villains But this will be a scandal regardless of the outcome. If City are found innocent, football’s most resourceful club will have been accused of cheating by the management behind the two biggest tournaments they participate in – the Premier League and the Champions League – and still got away with it. Such an outcome would be considered proof that the Premier League has lost control, that the government must intervene, and that the “state” clubs can do as they please. If City are found guilty, it will rewrite a large part of the league’s history. Titles can change hands, old tables can be adjusted, stories can be rewritten with new heroes and villains. The rivals will feel cheated. Manchester United and Liverpool have taken two second places each behind City, and Arsenal have lost a number of stars to the light blues. Already in 2005, Arsène Wenger talked about “economic doping” in the Premier League. This is what City is now being accused of. Should they be found guilty, it will cast a huge shadow over football’s most popular league.
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The accusations against Manchester City are a scandal regardless of the outcome – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcast schedule
