So, as a City fan, I'm obviously happy about the decision today made by CAS to overturn the 2 year CL ban imposed by UEFA.
Reading the reaction to the announcement on here, a lot of posters remain adamant that City are guilty of the charges that were made against them, and a significant number of these posters are seemingly annoyed about that, with many making throwaway comments such as City being cheats, such as it's obvious that City have cooked the books, such as, City have paid off CAS, indeed paid of UEFA. In summary, the narrative that such posters are adhering to is that City are guilty of cheating, and that the ruling today has only gone in City's favour due to a technicality.
That reaction isn't at all surprising, given the tribal nature of football. But the reaction does pose an interesting question.
Even if City are guilty of the offences of which they have overturned today, working purely upon this premise, this idea that City are cheats, what exactly is it that City are alleged to have done? And if this allegation did actually happen, what exactly is so wrong about it?
In a nutshell, what City are essentially accused of doing is an attempt to navigate FFP to enable an owner to put more money into that which he owns.
Which is something that every single big club has done at some point in their history.
Prior to FFP, this was actually seen as a good thing. Every single big club has benefited, at some point in their history, of having an owner who was prepared to put money into the club in an attempt to make the club that he owns successful.
All the big clubs did this to try and get ahead of their competitors, to try and give them an edge in a competitive sport. Some succeeded. For some clubs, it elevated them to a status within the game that has lasted ever since. For other clubs, it brought about temporary elevation, a limited period of success that was no doubt enjoyable while it lasted.
In order to compete with the powerhouses of football, a club, any club, needs money. If you sit at the top table, money will come to you in bucketloads, enabling your continual place at that top table. For others, if they want a chance to dine at that table, they need to spend money. FFP pretty much put a stop to that.
City got in just before the door to that top table was slammed firmly shut. And City have been targeted, and accused, and vilified pretty much ever since. For simply being a club that wanted to be ambitious. That wanted to compete at the top.
So even if you do believe that today's announcement is a joke, that City are guilty. Ask yourself, guilty of doing what?
Guilty of trying to find a way to get past a set of rules that are intent on stopping clubs being ambitious, despite being fortunate enough to have the financial means in order to try and compete.
And that is essentially it.
And what you deem City to be guilty of is something which every single big club has done in the past with a clear conscious. Before, that is, the ruling bodies of football deemed that investment into a football club was a bad thing.
The ruling today
posted on 14/7/20
Only a moron could fail to understand that the verdict clearly shows that City did not cheat. But I see that there are a few on here.
posted on 14/7/20
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posted on 14/7/20
Can't be bothered with Automatic.
posted on 14/7/20
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posted on 14/7/20
comment by RipleysCat (U1862)
posted 3 hours, 36 minutes ago
Can't be bothered with Automatic.
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Made up his mind ages ago and too little cognitive ability to deal with a judgement that deals in facts rather than his narrow minded agenda.
posted on 14/7/20
Sizzle campaigns about black kids being stopped by the police because they 'might' be up to no good but he's quite happy to slate City despite being found innocent by an independent court hearing.
Using his bizzare logic, the black youths should be arrested then left to rot until they prove they didn't do anything wrong.
posted on 14/7/20
It’s pretty wild seeing the reaction to this. So many people saying “if innocent why have they been fined” even Mourinho.
Feck me the cas announcement wasn’t exactly long, if you’re going to pitch in with an opinion at least make sure you’ve read it first.
posted on 14/7/20
Mourinho's a joke of a man anyway these days.
I imagine even Spurs fans were embarassed at that.
posted on 14/7/20
comment by gratedbean (U4885)
posted 7 minutes ago
It’s pretty wild seeing the reaction to this. So many people saying “if innocent why have they been fined” even Mourinho.
Feck me the cas announcement wasn’t exactly long, if you’re going to pitch in with an opinion at least make sure you’ve read it first.
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Why do that when they can be lazy and rely on 2nd hand sound bites that conform to their own tribalistic leanings?
posted on 14/7/20
I think it's a combination of Jose deflecting and the fact he's years behind Pep at the moment.