Sport
What punishment could Manchester City face for FFP breaches?
The scandal is unprecedented in the Premier League, so those in charge have quite the decision to make when it comes to handing down the punishment.
With the news of their numerous breaches of Financial Fair Play, the question on everyone’s mind now is what punishment could Manchester City face if found guilty?
The reigning champions were charged with more than 100 breaches of FFP regulations on Monday following the conclusion of a four-year investigation by the English top flight.
Despite the club denying the allegations as they did with the previous UEFA sanctions, eventually having their two-year ban overturned and the fine reduced by two-thirds, they cannot appeal the decision through the same means as last time and it looks increasingly likely that at least some charges will stick.
That being said, there a numerous steps that the Premier League, FA and other governing football bodies could take next if they are found guilty of even a portion of the offences.
Here are some possible options being suggested at present:
What action could be taken against Manchester City?
1. Fines
The first and most obvious ramification for their alleged financial infractions is a simple fine: typically the most common outcome whenever clubs find themselves in hot water when it comes to rule breaches.
When they were alleged to have gone beyond UEFA’s FFP regulations back in February 2020, they were initially slapped with a £30 million fine before it was eventually reduced to £10m not long after.
However, given the length and severity of this latest raft of accusations — at least a century of offences for nearly a decade — any penalt(ies) would likely result in a much more considerable total sum or even compensation paid to other clubs.
2. Points deduction
One of the most popular suggestions thus far is that City should suffer a points deduction in the current 2022/23 season, not unlike the action recently taken against Juventus for also failing to declare the full truth about the nature of their finances.
The Italian giants were docked 15 points for “false accounting” and could even face a further 20-point bombshell for “undeclared wage payments” to players and other members of staff thought to date back to at least March 2020.
City are accused of similar during Roberto Mancini’s tenure, the man who helped them lift their first Premier League title, as well as with members of their squad in at least two seasons, including as recently as the 2015/16 campaign.
Once again, the supposed offences committed at the Etihad are said to date from 2009 to at least 2018, when the club “stopped cooperating” with the inquiry. If the independent commission find evidence to punish for this period and perhaps beyond, it’s hard to say if points alone would be sufficient enough.
3. Stripped of titles
Alternatively, another possibility is that the now six-time Premier League winners could be stripped of every single one of their titles since their 2008 takeover, meaning the narrative of the last few years would look very different indeed:
While obviously a more severe choice, it is perfectly plausible — especially when considering Juventus once again, who were also hit with this punishment back in 2006 after the ‘Calciopoli’ scandal which saw them stripped of their previous two titles due to match-fixing, pressuring officials and more.
Given that the charges lobbied against City are strictly related to the Premier League, it would be unlikely that any of their other trophies won over the nine-year period in question would be rescinded, but you never know; the inquiry could spark further investigation.
4. Relegation/expulsion from the Premier League
While many have mooted that they feel the Blues should be issued with a ban from the competition — the length of which could be significant given the prolonged offending period and for football fans to make peace with potentially 9-14 years of financial wrongdoings.
However, circling back to the Juventus example once more, the ‘Old Lady’ was also relegated to Serie B (the Italian second division) for the first time in their history after Calciopoli. If that was the judgement for two years of breaches, what sort of punishment would fit City after nearly a decade, maybe more?
Keeping that in mind, it has also been suggested that the club could be expelled from the league. Though a permanent expulsion would be extremely improbable, with this course of action by far the most brutal, the problem again is deciding how long to expel/suspend them and whether to do so immediately or for the following season(s). Again, this is the most unlikely outcome of them all.
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While this list is obviously not exhaustive, Sky Sports shared a graphic on social media the various steps the commission could seek as Manchester City’s punishment.
Moreover, as alluded to earlier, City cannot appeal CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport) like they did last time according the current Premier League regulations. This means that, in theory, whatever the commission finds and the league ultimately says goes.
You can see the full list of charges levelled against Manchester City HERE.
What punishment do you think would be suitable for Manchester City’s litany of FFP breaches?
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Featured Image — Manchester City
Sport
Manchester’s 24 Hour Run Against Homelessness returns with its biggest venue host yet for 2024
Danny Jones
November is well underway which means that not only have the likes of the annual Christmas Markets begun but Manchester is once again ramping up for the latest edition of The 24 Hour Run Against Homelessness.
Although the holiday season is a jolly one for many, we’re always reminded that for lots of those less fortunate, the colder months signal an even more difficult time for lots of people all over Greater Manchester, with the region still suffering with the third highest rate of homelessness in the UK.
That being said, each year volunteers from founding organisation, Run Wild MCR (the University of Manchester’s long-standing running society), team up with the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity to help put in the hard yards on their behalf and raise as much money as possible.
Marking the sixth year of the heartwarming and vital fundraising event, the 2024 edition of The 24 Hour Run Against Homelessness is hoping to be the most impactful yet, landing even more support from local clubs and businesses than ever, as well as their biggest host venue yet.
For anyone still unaware of the event, the annual 24-hour relay run sees thousands of runners turn up from all over the 10 boroughs to participate in 5km laps around the city centre to witness the effects of homelessness first-hand.
Those lacing up their trainers – be they from local clubs like Manchester Road Runners, charitable organisation, Northern business or just a Manc who fancies doing their bit for a good cause – can do as little or as few laps as they like, as well as contribute to the fundraising with donations on the night.
Now with national vehicle marketplace AutoTrader named as the principal sponsor for this year’s run and the Together Co. social charity pledging to match public donations up to £20,000, The Manchester 24 Hour Homeless Run is hoping to achieve its biggest goal to date.
There have already been some serious records broken in past iterations, with multiple runners even going for upwards of 100k in total distance covered and staying overnight in sleeping bags to get their laps done over the 24 hours.
Having made upwards of £30,000 since it started, amassing more than £25,000 during its fifth anniversary in 2023, and raising over £1,400 with its first spin-off event in Birmingham earlier this month, this is set to be a hugely impactful year for the team and Manchester’s ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme.
The growth of the event speaks for itself, with Mayor Andy Burnham now a regular attendee on behalf of his namesake charity, an increase in clubs, influencers and national coverage, not to mention the event landing Freight Island as the 2024 host venue.
You can see a quick run-through of the city centre route here:
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Having sent a huge message to the previous government regarding comments about the homeless community and directly contributing to approximately 842 rough sleepers being given a bed in Manchester during last year’s run, they’ve done incredible work in just a few short years.
With the profile of the ever-important event bigger than ever, as it looks to continue expanding into different cities – especially following the success of its debut Brummy run – we’re expecting big things and even more wholesome vibes as the crowds gather at the now well-and-truly festive Freight Island.
Members of The Manc will also be taking part and putting in as many miles as we can, so come and say hello if you can or, even better, come join the countless other volunteers going for a jog from 12pm on Wednesday, 13 November until noon the next day.
More importantly, please give even a little bit to this crucial cause HERE if you can; the charity livestream will also be active on our Facebook page throughout the duration and QR codes for direct donations will be available at Freight Island on the night.
You can see a full list of the organisations taking part down below. This really is a time when Manchester shows its best face and we can all be very proud that we’re putting in the graft to combat a global crisis.
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Featured Images — Supplied
Sport
BBC confirm Gary Lineker will leave Match of the Day at the end of the season
Danny Jones
Following reports late on Monday evening, the BBC has now officially revealed Gary Lineker is leaving Match of the Day at the end of the current Premier League campaign.
Lineker, who has hosted Match of the Day (MotD) since 1999, is set to leave the long-standing British TV and sporting institution after 25 seasons but will still remain associated with the BBC on various other projects moving forward.
Confirming the news on Tuesday, 12 November, the network said that while his MotD tenure will conclude come May 2025, “The BBC and Gary Lineker have agreed in principle a contract extension through to the 2026 World Cup”.
The former footballer will also continue to host the MOTD Top Ten podcast and his The Rest is Football podcast on BBC Sounds alongside fellow co-presenters Alan Shearer and Micah Richards.
Lineker said: “I’m delighted to continue my long association with BBC Sport and would like to thank all those who made this happen.”
The ex-Leicester, Everton, Barcelona and Spurs player was famously suspended from the show back in March 2023 after comments made about the previous Conservative government’s “dangerous” rhetoric.
Shearer and Ian Wright (‘Wrighty’ having also announced he will be leaving the show at the end of the season) both walked out in solidarity with their close friend and colleague before being reinstated after issuing an official apology.
Putting the brief separation aside, Lineker has enjoyed a long and prosperous relationship with the BBC for more than two and a half decades and when the title race does conclude at the end of next spring, he will have been one of the most recognisable faces in British football for 26 years.
Many have rightly pointed out that he served as the Des Lynam – the former MoTD host for 11 years – for multiple generations of young football fans.
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This past August marked Match of the Day‘s 60th anniversary, making it one of the longest-running programmes in British TV history, and to say that the household name and ever-entwined Walkers ambassador has made up nearly half of that is no mean feat.
Lineker has yet to issue a personal response via any channels by the official BBC statement, but viewers can expect to address the situation on the likes of The Rest is Football soon enough.
Thanks for the memories, Gary – especially for honouring your promise and hosting in those comically big white undies.
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Featured Images — BBC
