NICK FEINBERG: City storm could change everything

HELLO my good football people, I trust all is well on your side!

Last week I mentioned that I couldn’t see the Premier League relegating Manchester City despite (at the time) the alleged guilt of 114 of 115 charges of financial misconduct.

In today’s “business-first” world, it just seemed unlikely. They can be considered one of the biggest football attractions (notice I didn’t say biggest clubs) in the world…

I thought the Premier League might smack them with a massive fine and dock them 20 or 30 points… City would recover after a season and we’d move on.

Basically, the Premier League would punish City without actually seriously hurting them. But I’m not so sure anymore. Because it’s gone from a football scandal to something much, much bigger.

Subsequently, City have officially been found guilty by an independent commission of serious financial breaches stretching over nine seasons.

The findings talk about “sham commercial arrangements”, “artificially inflated revenues”, “misstated accounts” and attempts to frustrate the Premier League’s investigation.

City, of course, continue to deny any wrongdoing and has launched an appeal. So, what happens if that appeal fails? A gigantic fine is the obvious starting point.

But fining City’s owners even a few hundred million pounds would be seen as annoying and little else. Then there is a points deduction. But how many points? Twenty? Fifty? Some people are suggesting a deduction big enough that relegation becomes unavoidable.

Others say forget the points and just relegate them.

There has even been talk of expulsion from the Premier League altogether.

Personally, I quite liked the suggestion of a points deduction per season for the next nine seasons (the same period of time they cheated), which would really hurt their ambitions.

Another argument is, if they are relegated a division or two, they’ll simply bounce straight back up and, in the process, deny a promotion place for a team in the division. And that leaves a sour taste.

Then there is talk of stripping them of trophies! They won league titles in 2012, 2014 and 2018 during the period covered by the findings.

Do you wipe those championships from the record books?

Do Manchester United suddenly become 2011-12 champions because Sergio Aguero’s famous 94th-minute goal against QPR on the last day of the season effectively never happened?

Do Liverpool inherit the 2013-14 title? Do you leave the seasons blank and simply record that nobody won them? Or etch an asterisk for each of those seasons on the league trophy?

Moaning Arsenal fans, who can’t shut the f**k up about it, are also saying that City wouldn’t be where they are today without all the skullduggery and the Gunners should be named champions of the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons.

There has also been speculation around transfer restrictions…

Where it becomes really deep and difficult is in the potential compensation claims from all the clubs who believe City’s actions cost them money, Champions League qualification, relegation or trophies. It’s VERY, VERY complicated!

But just when you thought the issue was big enough… According to reports at the end of last week, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has warned the United Kingdom (UK) that seriously punishing City could have consequences far beyond football.

The UAE has massive business interests and investment commitments in Britain and if speculation is to be believed, future billions could be reconsidered if City are hammered.

Wow! What a conundrum. The bigger picture (for football) is that if the UAE genuinely influences the decision, what is the point of having financial rules?

If the UK government intervene (which of course they will, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has already mentioned it) and influence the sanction and City get off lightly, that would completely destroy the credibility of the Premier League.

And this is where I’ve changed my mind from last week.

I still think relegating City would cause absolute chaos. But I think a punishment of that nature has to happen. Broadcasters wouldn’t like it. Sponsors wouldn’t like it and the British government certainly wouldn’t enjoy a diplomatic scrap with the UAE over it. But maybe that’s what football needs to retain any credibility it might still have.

The Premier League spent years telling us this was about protecting the integrity of the competition, now they have to stand firm, puff out their chest and prove it.

I also reckon a relook at the financial fair play rules needs to happen. As it stands, the traditional “big” clubs have an unfair advantage and a monopoly. It’s a cabal.

Are we witnessing the beginning of the end of top-flight football as it was? The way the world is heading, nothing is impossible! Email me your thoughts at: [email protected]

Chat next week, bye byeee.