The Official Financial Fair Play (FFP) Thread

[Nollaig O Muracu]

Why do you reakky think this is taking so long.

Only saw this now.

I don't know tbh.

But I have seen a plausible theory that the British Government wants (more) investment from the Arab lads to try and make up for the losses due to Brexit. I have no idea if that's true or not, but there is some logic about it.

On the football side of things, let's say City are found guilty of the most serious charges? What then?

You strip them of their titles? Yiu give the titles to the second place teams of those years.

But now you're admitting that players, coaches and other staff have been robbed of a joyous moment true can never have back. And if you leave the titles that year blank, you're telling people that they were watching a joke for years, and paying through the nose for it.

The damage done to Serie A by the scandal in 06 is something they've never really recovered from (although that's far from the only reason, but still very damaging). Can you imagine the other big leagues scorching them for it as they try and get a bigger slice of the money pie for themselves.

And if you don't punish them for something we all know they did, well......

They should never have left a lot of these owners into the game, and now the chickens are coming home to roost.

 

[Xhavenjoe]

Only saw this now.

I don't know tbh.

But I have seen a plausible theory that the British Government wants (more) investment from the Arab lads to try and make up for the losses due to Brexit. I have no idea if that's true or not, but there is some logic about it.

On the football side of things, let's say City are found guilty of the most serious charges? What then?

You strip them of their titles? Yiu give the titles to the second place teams of those years

God knows but one of the problems I keep reading is thst the media in particular keep comparing this to the financial fair play rules that other clubs have been founded guilty of. Every time a club is involved in a FFP situation, the response is " What about City"
They are not being investigated for breaking FFP rules as such.
They are being investigated for external arrangements that, if found guilty, could be classed as fraud. It would mean that their board members would have to go and criminal proceedings would take place.
The first thing they are supposed to have done is pay Mancini for an imaginary job for a full year before he took over as manager, a consulting job that took only a few days work but paid millions.
Direct image rights being paid to YaYa Toure.
Sponsorship deals from Abu Dhabi companies that were at an exaggerated value.
Can you imagine members of Etihad airways board of management having criminal proceedings brought against them?
33 (thirty three) top accountancy firms have all passed the accounts between City and the other parties involved. Thousands of e mails and other forms of correspondence.
The PL may have been wiser to have approached City and came to some " fudged" settlement instead of taking a case against them, based on a written complaint from 8 rival PL teams.
What I really can't get my head around is that the City group, that own City and other clubs, have invested £600m+ this year alone in hotels, restaurants and indoor arenas while under investigation. The Etihad is one of the grounds that is being used for the euros in 2 years time and this has been sanctioned by Fifa.
The PL keep bringing in rules after the horse has bolted. Its not necessarily their problem but the modern PL clubs are bigger and have more financial clout than the PL.
Chelsea can't sell hotels any more , Everton can't sell their ladies team to themselves, Villa can't sell a warehouse to themselves, arsenal can't give out interest free loans from directors who don't care if they are paid back, Liverpool can't hack into a rival clubs database.
When the PL started out , they could never invisage all these problems.

 

[Nollaig O Muracu]

Joe, some good points but leave some spaces between paragraphs fella. Much easier to read.

 

[Xhavenjoe]

Joe, some good points but leave some spaces between paragraphs fella. Much easier to read.

I'm just learning how to type.

 

[Philby]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2083231990338245052

 

[Nollaig O Muracu]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2083231990338245052

Joke shop.

 

[Philby]

Manchester City found guilty on almost all Premier League charges relating to financial breaches​

nytimes.com · by David Ornstein · September 25, 2026
Manchester City have been found guilty on almost all of the charges relating to breaches of the Premier League’s financial regulations.

The sanctions have not been decided, with all possibilities remaining on the table, and City are expected to appeal.

City have been found guilty on all but one of the 115 charges, according to sources briefed on the matter who spoke anonymously as they were not authorised to do so publicly.

A City spokesperson told The Athletic: “The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality. As such Manchester City FC’s position remains consistent with the club’s statement of February 2023.

“The club has diligently respected due process for eight years on the basis the Premier League board and executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair minded regulator, free from partisan influence.”

City’s statement in February 2023 said the club was “surprised” by the charges and it “welcomes the review of this matter by an independent commission, to impartially consider the comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence that exists in support of its position”.

What sanctions could City face?​

The potential punishments are outlined in rule W.51 of the Premier League’s handbook, with a range of potential options for the panel to consider if City are found to have broken the rules.

Sanctions range from a reprimand and fines to points deductions — and even expulsion from the Premier League.

Any points deduction could be applied when the decision is made or retrospectively, raising the prospect of City being stripped of titles.

“I would expect that if there is a points deduction, it would be applied going forward,” James Hill, a legal director specialising in sports regulatory matters at Onside Law, told The Athletic in 2023.

“Generally, panels don’t like deciding titles in a court process. Doing it that way does not give a real tangible punishment to the club.”
According to rule W.51.7, the panel could choose to combine any number of the punishments outlined in the rulebook or impose other sanctions they deem appropriate.

However, any punishment would need to be proportionate to the breaches in question or it could be overturned by appeal.

 

[omar]

Manchester City found guilty on almost all Premier League charges relating to financial breaches​

nytimes.com · by David Ornstein · September 25, 2026
Manchester City have been found guilty on almost all of the charges relating to breaches of the Premier League’s financial regulations.

The sanctions have not been decided, with all possibilities remaining on the table, and City are expected to appeal.

City have been found guilty on all but one of the 115 charges, according to sources briefed on the matter who spoke anonymously as they were not authorised to do so publicly.

A City spokesperson told The Athletic: “The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality. As such Manchester City FC’s position remains consistent with the club’s statement of February 2023.

“The club has diligently respected due process for eight years on the basis the Premier League board and executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair minded regulator, free from partisan influence.”

City’s statement in February 2023 said the club was “surprised” by the charges and it “welcomes the review of this matter by an independent commission, to impartially consider the comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence that exists in support of its position”.

What sanctions could City face?​

The potential punishments are outlined in rule W.51 of the Premier League’s handbook, with a range of potential options for the panel to consider if City are found to have broken the rules.

Sanctions range from a reprimand and fines to points deductions — and even expulsion from the Premier League.

Any points deduction could be applied when the decision is made or retrospectively, raising the prospect of City being stripped of titles.

“I would expect that if there is a points deduction, it would be applied going forward,” James Hill, a legal director specialising in sports regulatory matters at Onside Law, told The Athletic in 2023.

“Generally, panels don’t like deciding titles in a court process. Doing it that way does not give a real tangible punishment to the club.”
According to rule W.51.7, the panel could choose to combine any number of the punishments outlined in the rulebook or impose other sanctions they deem appropriate.

However, any punishment would need to be proportionate to the breaches in question or it could be overturned by appeal.

I think they will tie it up with appeals for another while and ultimately accept a transfer ban for 2 or 3 windows and a bit of a fine.

They have recruited heavily and changed the age profile of the squad in the last couple of windows with a view to the above imho.

They have cheated to get their "revenues" to a level where they will have a lot of leeway around the financial rules and limits now so job done as far as they are concerned.

That to me is the big question. Will their revenue streams be looked at thoroughly and I don't believe they will because of political influence due to the UK economy and where the ownership money is away from football.

 

[dunadoni]

Let's hope the punishment isn't dragged out the way the tribunal was.

 

[Mickyd]

Pep got out just in time.

He saw it coming.

Has to be retrospective points deductions, titles stripped and relegation.