The fact that this came out after this reaction is kinda comical
Hopefully Chelsea next...
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The 2022-2023 Football Thread
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Hopefully Chelsea next...
I thought Chelsea’s magic money tree might have dried up once the old owner moved on. But it seems like anything but.
The sums involved are truly bizarre, and some of the purchasing choices are downright peculiar, especially when linked to an almost complete absence of "vision" when one considers the actual team.
It's a shame that Leeds moved before Saints - Now they'll pick up the best of the bunch of currently available managers and we'll (Southampton) have to wait for Jones (completely out of his depth) to be sacked and pick from what's left.
Can't see Poch coming back, don't know if any of the others would be that keen to fight a relegation battle, but we only need three wins on the bounce and we'd be firmly mid-table.
Saints squad is not bad - it's not great, but it's not bad. The poor management from Jones and before him Hassenhuttl (in his later months) has caused the mess we are in.
While I am on the subject of Jones, did anyone catch the rant he gave at the post-match presser? He had the audacity to say he was one of the best managers in Europe (statistically) last year...the man's completely lost his mind, never mind the dressing room and the fans.
So...Financial Fair Play and Man City...do we think there will be sanctions, like those handed out to "lesser" clubs (i.e. clubs that don't hold so much financial sway)?
I have a feeling there'll be a fine of some sort and possibly a points deduction that won't really affect them and that will be all we hear about it.
I have a feeling there'll be a fine of some sort and possibly a points deduction that won't really affect them and that will be all we hear about it.
Heartbreak for Wrexham in injury time. Got themselves to blame.
Some cracking goals.
Some cracking goals.
Some dreadful defending.
THey gave their all for 90+ minutes though - very hard to tell which was the Championship team at times in that game.
Wrexham gave it their best shot. Sheffield United had to work very hard to put them away despite the extreme advantage in experience and talent they have. No shame at all in the result. Now Wrexham can fully focus on what's really important: earning promotion to the Football League.
Nothing of significance will happen to Man City because they have power and money and if that does happen then I think there will be many people claiming there is some coverup going on because they will use what happened with Derby as their example. The FA hit Derby hard with a total of 21 points deduction, 12 for going into administration and 9 for breaching the leagues financial rules. Granted FFP is a FIFA/UEFA incentive but it will be interesting to see if Man City have broken any of the leagues financial rules because if they have and only get a fine, people will be questioning why they were not treated the same as Derby.
Manchester City have been charged with breaking the financial fair play rules just over a hundred times - a 100 times! - since 2009; this is a colossal set of charges, and the penalty - or penalties - imposed will have to be considerable to reflect the gravity of the charges, both re numbers, and re length of time.
The other interesting news - which should lead to a is that the Emir of Qatar (who already owns PSG, and whose country hosted the recent World Cup) has expressed an interest in buying Manchester United.
According to the Guardian, Amnesty International has described Qatari interest in United as “another wake-up call” to the Premier League in regards to strengthening its ownership rules.
The other interesting news - which should lead to a is that the Emir of Qatar (who already owns PSG, and whose country hosted the recent World Cup) has expressed an interest in buying Manchester United.
According to the Guardian, Amnesty International has described Qatari interest in United as “another wake-up call” to the Premier League in regards to strengthening its ownership rules.
Yes, I do; what has happened is too big to be safely ignored, or overlooked by the Premier League; they will lose all remaining (limited, yes,) credibility if they do not take serious action, and are not seen to have taken serious action.
This will go a bit beyond a proverbial slap on the wrist.
However, given the vast resources at Manchester City's disposal, a fine - irrespective of the amount - will be shrugged off, which means that in addition to a fine, any serious sanction must be seen to include penalties that will sting, such as a points reduction, perhaps relegation, and/or a ban on transfers for a set period, or perhaps exclusion from the Champion's League.
Those who govern Qatar have been well known to be involved in OR have allowed human rights abuses to occur according to human rights charities but the question is should every Qatari be tarnished with the same brush. Again according to human rights charities, many of the countries people turn a blind eye to the human rights abuses that take place and thus these charities question if Qatari companies and/or it's citizens should be afforded the luxury of owning foreign premium brand goods, in this case football clubs. If the individual has not done anything wrong then yes they will pass the premier leagues fit and proper test BUT should they be barred from buying a premiership club just because of their birthplace?
Clubs in the lower leagues have had points reduction due to financial irregularities but when it comes to premiership clubs, when they are found to have done the same or similar things, they either get a fine or a player transfer ban.
I find the current Manchester City situation somewhat amusing.
Was there a single person that thought those advertising contracts from companies that (what a coincidence) were from the same place and ownership as the guy who owned the club were real contracts? Really?
What is so different now? It's like those people who don't mind being cheated as long it isn't public?
Was there a single person that thought those advertising contracts from companies that (what a coincidence) were from the same place and ownership as the guy who owned the club were real contracts? Really?
What is so different now? It's like those people who don't mind being cheated as long it isn't public?
From what I have read, the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, has expressed an interest in buying Manchester United.
If this is true, then, yes, - given that the state of Qatar is ruled by him (and his family), and given their deplorable human rights record, and the troubling idea of football clubs being purchased by nation states in the interests of "sports-washing", or, soft-power projection, then, yes, questions most certainly should be asked, and, should the answers not be satisfactory, I see no reason why they should not be barred.
The Premier League needs to take a long hard look at its ownership model.
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They will take the case to arbitration, agreed, but, given that they are facing charges of breaking the financial fair play rules in over a hundred different cases, spanning over a decade, I cannot see how the fine - or punishment - can be a merely token exercise.
Look at all the corruption allegations tabled at Qatar for winning the World Cup and the issue of the countries long standing human rights abuses and yet they were still allowed to host the World Cup. If the Emir of Qatar wants to purchase United, the premier league fit and proper test is not going to stop him. If he was able to win over the powers that be to get the World Cup he can certainly do the same to the bosses of the premier league.
You mean big brown envelopes full of cash? That’s how they got the WC.
20 point deduction for the next 10 years plus a transfer ban for the next 10 years sounds about right.
In reality a small (relatively) fine and points deduction is what will be delivered.
Agreed. But not just at new owners. Also existing ones need reevaluating.
It would be a mistake, in the context of the charges against Man City, for people to point the finger only at specific clubs when talking about the corrupt nature of football. This is an issue that infects the global game from top to bottom - not just one club, not just the 'greedy six,' not just top divisions. People are in on the con at every level and the inequality is evident from top to bottom. The Premier League itself is a "Greedy Twenty" that is self-regulating and highly self-interested.
When I say, as I often have, that we need root-and-branch reform, I mean it. If it were just a couple teams that were the issue, this would all be a lot easier to fix.
When I say, as I often have, that we need root-and-branch reform, I mean it. If it were just a couple teams that were the issue, this would all be a lot easier to fix.
Qatar does not appear to be interested in selling PSG, so they'd be limited to a minority stake in United. Hopefully the Glazers hold out for a full buyout from someone else. Qatari investment with the Glazers retaining control would be the worst of both worlds.
There are ways around the obstacles. One would be the Qataris and their allies just pressuring UEFA to change the rules, which some have suggested is a real possibililty.