Although soccer brings many people together and is one of the most popular sports in the world, it has its drawbacks. The professional game in Europe has to deal with many clubs breaching laws, specifically, the Financial Fair Play (FFP) laws. These complex laws state how a team can spend their money on a legal basis. It also accounts for their estimated value of players and their expenses to revenue ratio. These rules are largely governed by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and the International Association Football Federation (FIFA), European and worldwide football governing authorities.
Recently, Premier League clubs Everton and Nottingham Forest have both been charged with breaching the FFP laws. Everton was also penalized with a deduction of ten points earlier in the season. Nottingham Forest is expected to face a punishment soon, but the charges that current English powerhouse and Premier League champion Manchester City face are on a much larger scale. Manchester City, who won the European treble last year and have come off three consecutive Premier League titles, have been charged with 115 counts. If Manchester City is found guilty, they would almost certainly be relegated, meaning their all-star squad would be sent to a much lower tier of English football.
Many have been left frustrated with why Manchester City hasn’t been punished yet and what makes their charges different from clubs like Everton and Nottingham Forest. According to football news reporter Philip Buckingham of The Athletic, “City’s charges include accusations of failing to disclose accurate financial information [in particular revenue, specifically sponsorship deals] and not fully providing managerial remuneration details for a four-year period.” These charges, unlike ones faced by other English clubs Nottingham Forest and Everton, are actually under the jurisdiction of the British government, not a football organization. This means that the charges will take longer to be processed, and the club will undergo a British trial, where they will need legal defense.
Manchester City supporters all over the world have reacted to the news in various ways. Sasha Lambergs (I) thinks that the club “should not really be punished at all because the charges are pixie dust. They’re not real or based in fact. How about a club like Chelsea or Arsenal? They can spend whatever they want regardless of if it’s fair, but Man City is new and different so they hate to see them succeed.” Not every Manchester City fan feels the same way. Julien Karnoub (I) shares, “I don’t think it’s possible to get away with 115 charges, so I think relegation for a season or a massive points deduction are due. I find it rather strange that we spend insane amounts of money on players pretty much unchecked.”
Regardless of our views, we will have to wait and see what repercussions Manchester may have to face.
