Man City Suing the PL for discrimination

[ŽižkovClaret]

Going to be interesting as it centres on the rules relating to associated entities sponsoring city.

By stating discrimination i wonder if they are basing it on the differing corporate structures employed due to islamic laws etc. Their favoured lawyer, Lord Pannick, is frankly top notch and so you'd imagine it isn't entirely baseless if he has had anything to do with it.

[TheFamilyCat]

Pannick on the streets of London
Pannick on the streets of Birmingham
I wonder to myself
"Could footy ever be sane again?"

[Neil]

Pannick on the streets of London
Pannick on the streets of Birmingham
I wonder to myself
"Could footy ever be sane again?"

Hang the VK hang the VK hang the VK

[Rowls]

Going to be interesting as it centres on the rules relating to associated entities sponsoring city.

By stating discrimination i wonder if they are basing it on the differing corporate structures employed due to islamic laws etc. Their favoured lawyer, Lord Pannick, is frankly top notch and so you'd imagine it isn't entirely baseless if he has had anything to do with it.

I actually DO imagine it's entirely baseless and that's why it's only possible with all the money in the world to hire the best legal representatives.

The law is a sport to those professions.

[ŽižkovClaret]

I actually DO imagine it's entirely baseless and that's why it's only possible with all the money in the world to hire the best legal representatives.

The law is a sport to those professions.

We'll see eh?

[blatherwickstattoos]

I’m going to do the same with this page. I feel victimised

[Vegas Claret]

article here
https://archive.ph/48PaS

[Bosscat]

The EPL will be OK they have contacted pushpinpussy to represent them in this

[Nonayforever]

I actually DO imagine it's entirely baseless and that's why it's only possible with all the money in the world to hire the best legal representatives.

The law is a sport to those professions.

The law is just a game to play with the people who practice law.
There are no morals or principles, it's merely a game they play with each other to see who can out wit who.

[AmbleClaret]

The law is just a game to play with the people who practice law.
There are no morals or principles, it's merely a game they play with each other to see who can out wit who.

Never a truer word spoken.

[RammyClaret61]

Manchester City playing the big bully. In an attempt to get out of their 115 charges. They try to destroy the FA & Premier League in a hope they can’t bring the charges. Actions of a desperate guilty club. Also if successful. Football in England will be destroyed.

I hate Manchester City.

[Clive 1960]

Money talks...

[Burnley Ace]

Going to be interesting as it centres on the rules relating to associated entities sponsoring city.

By stating discrimination i wonder if they are basing it on the differing corporate structures employed due to islamic laws etc. Their favoured lawyer, Lord Pannick, is frankly top notch and so you'd imagine it isn't entirely baseless if he has had anything to do with it.

I suspect they are basing it on UK and possibly EU law.

[bumba]

Sooner they all leave for a super league never to return the better.
They've ruined the game

[beddie]

Perhaps they’d like to -ugger off and play in the super league along with their friends then we wouldn’t have to constantly listen to their excuses. The level playing fields are no more and will continue this way whilst teams like City buy the league.

[mikeS]

City's owners must have got wind of what's coming their way in November by way of the 115 charges and have gone for a pre-emotive strike.
They are in the proverbial.
It'll get interesting now.

[Foshiznik]

I mean i guess by definition it is discriminatory in that Man City are the only team (bar Newcastle who will probably be treated the same in future) that are owned by a state investment fund who own nationalised companies to inflate their sponsorship income.

I personally have no issue with the Premier League going against this sort of loophole considering the "income" is always significantly above the market value of what they would be able to pull in from "normal" sponsorship, even with their success.

[gandhisflipflop]

If this is thrown out. Surely the PL have a case to say that City have brought the league into disrepute?

[Dark Cloud]

On the one hand Man City want to participate in the Premier League, but on the other hand they want to make all the rules to suit themselves and ensure their own perpetual success and where it doesn't suit they'll bust right through them. If you want to participate, fine, if you don't like the way it works, stop moaning and trying to bully through favourable changes and just jog off somewhere else. Simple imo.

[CrosspoolClarets]

Never be a better example of why we should not have nation states owning our football clubs, in fact, any of our key companies.

They are trying to get out of the rules they themselves signed up to when agreeing that a vote by 14 clubs is binding.

Abhorrent, deeply shameful and, with luck, destined to lose.

[Down_Rover]

The report I read said ‘City claim rules introduced two and a half years ago are restrictive and anti-competitive.’

Wow. So the League is competitive now?

[Big Vinny K]

Sign of desperation
Sign of a club with a huge team of top solicitors who have been working on this for several months (not a sign actually as I know it to be a fact)
Sign of a club wanting to drag things out further and further - giving them even more time to find technicalities, issue threats about leaving the EPL, get other clubs on board with a super league etc etc.

[CrosspoolClarets]

Sign of desperation
Sign of a club with a huge team of top solicitors who have been working on this for several months (not a sign actually as I know it to be a fact)
Sign of a club wanting to drag things out further and further - giving them even more time to find technicalities, issue threats about leaving the EPL, get other clubs on board with a super league etc etc.

Our club will have known about it since March. It seems only now that the journalist has found out, Matt Lawton.

[CoolClaret]

City are repugnant and exemplify everything that I despise about modern professional 'sport' (and I suppose wider society in general).

I'm also glad that we have sort of moved on from our de facto association with them after VK has left - I'd prefer to have no dealings with them, nor use their facilities for medicals etc if at all possible.

[jlup1980]

It's an interesting move from City. They've been playing chess since the 115 charges were brought against them. I suspect they see this as their "checkmate" move. It has the potential to turn the PL into the new Saudi League. Just 'money for the sake of money', with Man City and Newcastle at the helm, throwing billions at it every year because they can. There's no doubt it would destroy the game completely.

I sincerely hope they fail in this desperate bid to move the goalposts in their favour. I also hope they get absolutely hammered for the 115 charges and relegated to League 2 or even further, thus forcing them to begin the creation of a European Super League. If we lost the greedy clubs we'd end up with a Championship style league, which would be much more entertaining for proper football fans, not the trophy hunting, half & half scarf wearing, armchair fans.

[bobinho]

Re: Man City Suing the PL for discrimination - of course they are… 🫣

[Darthlaw]

So I'm guessing Premier League Champions* Mercenary City are no longer denying all charges but instead arguing the rules shouldn't be applicable to them?

Or am I missing something?

[DAVETHEVICAR]

It is obvious to me that City will never get relegated even one division to the Championship.
Imo of course

[ClaretTony]

It's an interesting move from City. They've been playing chess since the 115 charges were brought against them. I suspect they see this as their "checkmate" move. It has the potential to turn the PL into the new Saudi League. Just 'money for the sake of money', with Man City and Newcastle at the helm, throwing billions at it every year because they can. There's no doubt it would destroy the game completely.

I sincerely hope they fail in this desperate bid to move the goalposts in their favour. I also hope they get absolutely hammered for the 115 charges and relegated to League 2 or even further, thus forcing them to begin the creation of a European Super League. If we lost the greedy clubs we'd end up with a Championship style league, which would be much more entertaining for proper football fans, not the trophy hunting, half & half scarf wearing, armchair fans.

It is as you say their perceived checkmate move.

SSN were reporting earlier that one club was definitely supporting them. Now I wonder who that could be.

[Superjohnnyfrancis]

They have ruined football in the premier league with their obvious cheating and just pouring that oil money in.

All their titles are meaningless if they were got by foul means which even the premier league cant hush up, I think Pep has now realised this and he will be off sooner rather than later. He has wasted his time here as those titles will be forever tainted. If Everton got 8 points off for two charges I cant see them being allowed to stay in the prem, They need a 100 point deduction if proved guilty.

Chuck these owners out and relegate them to the bottom division to start again like they did to Rangers in Scotland, that should act as a suitable deterent to the next chancers that happen upon the league.

[Darthlaw]

I cant see any world where the PL will relegate Champions* Man City and lessen their own brand as a result. It would be totally cutting off their own nose.

For me, best outcome is to asterisk all the domestic wins concerned so that it will forever be consigned to the history books, how they achieved their 'success' and will serve as a permanent reminder to any other clubs considering breaking the rules going forwards.

Dirty Leeds, meet financial doping City.

[ClaretPete001]

Never be a better example of why we should not have nation states owning our football clubs, in fact, any of our key companies.

They are trying to get out of the rules they themselves signed up to when agreeing that a vote by 14 clubs is binding.

Abhorrent, deeply shameful and, with luck, destined to lose.

Agree

[elwaclaret]

Surely there is a clause in the license to play in the league that the Rules of the said league are agreed and adhered to by all participants. If so, Premier League just need the backbone to expel them… but they won’t for fear of killing the golden goose that keeps them all in clover.

[THEWELLERNUT70]

I think the set of Two Hats are confusing Tyranny with Democracy!

I hope they get the book thrown at them in the same way as Rangers did, in Scotland at least the top flight would be rid of their tiresome and tedious brand of football for a few seasons

[Elizabeth]

So I'm guessing Premier League Champions* Mercenary City are no longer denying all charges but instead arguing the rules shouldn't be applicable to them?

Or am I missing something?

They will continue to challenge the 100+ charges

[Elizabeth]

The charges are well documented consisting of made up sponsorship deals,sweetening the old manager and players with non existent consultation fees and extra wages hidden from the accounts. Their refusal to co-operate with the PL also makes up 25- 30% of the charges.
The legal challenge is against the new rules brought in when the other PL clubs finally lost patience with their dodgy practices in areas relating to sponsorship

[Sproggy]

There was something on the radio this mornng which made sense.

First up is you are correct - if they can argue that the rules are not valid, it will effectively wipe out a bunch (not all) of the charges against them.

Secondly, they are looking ahead and seeing De Bruyne potentially going to Saudi, Haaland with 2 years left on his contract, Pep threatenting to walk, a 30+ year old Kyle Walker etc. and without the ability to spend whatever they like they will struggle to replace them.

[fanzone]

Genius move by city

[winsomeyen]

Some of us can remember when City hadnt a pot to **** in.

[Devils_Advocate]

Some of us can remember when City hadnt a pot to **** in.

100% this, I think people easily forget the hard work and endeavour that Man City put in for many years to drag themselves up by their bootstraps and become the best club in the country.

[beeholeclaret]

to see who can out wit who.

Is this something to do with Sheffield Wednesday?

[Darnhill Claret]

If Man City are challenging Premier League changes from 3 seasons ago, or 2 seasons ago, this will have absolutely no effect on the 115 charges made against them, which are I believe from sometime between 2013/14 to 2019 or something like that.

[Darthlaw]

For Clarity:

115 Charges:
• 54x Failure to provide accurate financial information 2009-10 to 2017-18.
• 14x Failure to provide accurate details for player and manager payments from 2009-10 to 2017-18.
• 5x Failure to comply with Uefa's rules including Financial Fair Play (FFP) 2013-14 to 2017-18.
• 7x Breaching Premier League's PSR rules 2015-16 to 2017-18.
• 35x Failure to co-operate with Premier League investigations December 2018 - Feb 2023.

They’re now sueing the PL over rules brought in from December 2021.

[jlup1980]

It is as you say their perceived checkmate move.

SSN were reporting earlier that one club was definitely supporting them. Now I wonder who that could be.

Let's just hope that if City look like they might actually get the result they want, the other 18 clubs have the common sense to counter the lawsuit by threatening to boycott the league. That'd be interesting wouldn't it!

The funny thing about this is it's reminded me of a conversation I had with a good friend of mine, a season ticket holder since the Maine Road days, when City were very first taken over by Sheikh Mansoor in 2008. Everyone was expecting the oncoming rise of Man City but he said, quite categorically, "we're Man City, it'll all come crashing down spectacularly one day". Maybe he was right!!

[dougcollins]

Talksport saying that if City are successful, the 900M deal with the EFL will almost certainly be postponed.

[gandhisflipflop]

Talksport saying that if City are successful, the 900M deal with the EFL will almost certainly be postponed.

I don’t see how Man City come out of this with any credibility regardless of the outcome. If they are successful and scupper the 900m deal in the process then surely they become the most hated team in English football and the PL would be at loggerheads with them.

[Anonymous Claret]

I would find it hilarious if they were expelled from the EPL for a minimum of 10 years.

Obviously that is never going to happen but it is an amusing thought.

[Darthlaw]

Talksport saying that if City are successful, the 900M deal with the EFL will almost certainly be postponed.

That's sure to get the other 72 teams on their side too.

We could have, effectively, 4-5 teams deciding the future of English Football.