Tesl wrote:Its not just a case of trusting our own management (which I do and which we all should), but with City its already too late. All of the figures the club will show will make us pass FFP, and if UEFA decide they are far too shady so we should be sanctioned (which they won't) then we probably wouldn't be kicked out of the CL anyway (which, realistically is the only punishment that matters). And even if they did kick us out, our income is already 6th highest in the world and has overtaken Arsenal and Chelsea, the club can keep pumping that higher and higher and we'd just get in again the following year. Its not like its a ban on entering the CL forever.
And then there is still potential for court cases, although I don't see it going that far to be honest. Not by us at least, UEFA won't be able to stop us and they know that already. However they will probably be using us as a case study on how we did things and how we reached the top, so that they can work on stopping any other clubs doing it afterwards. Should-be-illegal protectionism at its finest.
Perhaps it would be helpful to have an FFP thread so that people interested in the topic can discuss in factual terms, to make sure the topic does not crop up in and distract other threads
I concur with the spirit of a lot of your post, but it is also littered with 'facts' that are not facts - probably just the assumptions that we fans wish to make.
As examples and certainly not to pick specifically on your post:
1/ Its not just a case of trusting our own management (which I do and which we all should):
I fully agree - we know we have the best owners in the world and would seem now to have the best management team available. All is progressing in a serene and seemingly unstoppable fashion and they probably have good personal relationships with key UEFA people. If only they were in place several years ago - because then there would be no risks. But we have built a 'balance sheet legacy' with some poor spending that simply means that we will not be compliant - if only the review period was a year or 2 later.2/ All of the figures the club will show will make us pass FFP.
This is an area of stating something as fact when it is not the case. It simply not true - the opposite in fact. We are going to need to receive some 'understanding' based on our progress and we are going to need to achieve 'acceptance' of some of stated revenue streams to be compliant and even then we would be non-compliant against the stated 'rules'.3/ .....if UEFA decide they are far too shady so we should be sanctioned (which they won't) then we probably wouldn't be kicked out of the CL anyway (which, realistically is the only punishment that matters).
Again you state this as fact when it is only your judgement and hope. My judgement (and hope) would be similar as we could be well positioned now to 'successfully argue the case' .I believe that we should get away with it because of our progress and UEFA can take comfort that we are now a big player and at least the drawbridge has been pulled up to prevent others. But that is only hope and opinion - there are (IMO) significant risks and the recent introduction of a process that allows the other PL teams to challenge any leniency given seems to provide UEFA with a cosy way forward. If the scum, red scouse or Arse finish 5th (even 4th or 6th)theoretically) - we would need them not to use these powers - and just why the fuck would they choose not to? These 3 in particular are owned by US based businessmen - not renowned for being non-ruthless.
I find it highly concerning that these powers have been introduced very recently by David Gill just at the time when it would have started to become obvious to him (against previous assumptions) that they may not qualify - why does nobody else seem to find this 'more than a coincidence'?4/ And even if they did kick us out, our income is already 6th highest in the world and has overtaken Arsenal and Chelsea, the club can keep pumping that higher and higher and we'd just get in again the following year.
I fully agree, as mentioned earlier I take a lot of comfort from the fact that we have a squad good enough to secure CL next season under contract and by then we should be compliant5/ And then there is still potential for court cases............
Less than people think - I hear so much uninformed opinion spouted about lawyers and European law etc..... The implementation has been long in the planning and mindful of such challenges. The CAS is the agreed route for arbitration (including agreed by CITY) and there as been much preparation by the FFPR planners to ensure that their processes are robust.We all want to be 'gung-ho' and reflect the power that our owners have - we all share the view that they can go fuck themselves, but also some of us remember that UEFA have been the G14 and ECA puppet for years and are only really the administrators. They have been willing to fuck up their previous prestigious competitions to placate the G14 - bring in FFPR for the same reason - why do CITY fans think that they will not respond to pressure to fully implement the process - including these new clauses if an old guard member was to press.
We may think that we are important and increasingly so to UEFA - but how does our standing really matter compared to the combined influence of the old guard - very little IMO. The old guard operate as a cartel and have regular discussions re the future - backing by them for a scum challenge would have (IMO) only one outcome. Lets hope that the scum do not achieve 5th.
by mcfc1632 » Sun Feb 02, 2014 8:24 pm 
