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I listened to the High Performance Business podcast with Paul Gilroy KC discussing the Man City case (link below). I thought Paul was forthright and enjoyed his thoughts. He also confirmed he had heard a rumour corroborating my exclusive from the other day; that the sanctioning process has proceeded. His assertions did contain some inaccuracies, which I address below. I did, however, feel the hosts were disingenuous and contemptible throughout. Every assertion and reflection was geared to cast blame and frustration with the process rather than the orchestrator of this situation, Man City. As for the inaccuracies: The delay between issuing the decision (in July) and publication (in September) was due to the parties contesting the definition of the decision and sequencing of sanctions vs appeal - at both a Commission and Appeal Board. It did not involve any discussion with club execs about what to do. A settlement is not possible. That rule is new as of this season and does not apply to proceedings initiated prior. A settlement must also be ratified by a Commission as not unduly lenient. Given the entire matter has been heard by the Commission, the reality is sanctioning sits entirely with them (and an Appeal Board) now. The names were redacted because at the time of publication, the sanctions hearing had not been undertaken. Publishing risked the integrity of the process due to the tribal nature of football fans and the unmanageable risk they pose. The Everton example was not analogous given the names of the panel were only published after sanctioning. The Appeal Board convened pre-publication was for a specific purpose (described above). It is unclear whether the same panel will also hear the substantive appeal on liability or not. The Fordham arrangement is no longer “alleged”. It has been proven. Regardless of what Soriano stated, the case does not rest upon one concept - the “funding thread”. The breaches pertaining to the Fordham arrangement and the double contracts are entirely independent of how sponsors were funded. That should have been clarified. The suggestion that the PL could now alter strategy based on a cost / benefit analysis or demands of club execs is not plausible. The process now sits outside PL control. The Commission and Appeal Board govern it. And as I outline in the post below, it is unlikely to be heard at the High Court in my opinion. podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcas…

I find it bizarre that so many people believe Man City will be getting a simple relegation. Step back from the Commission’s decision and look at the holistic implication of what it says… That, over the course of 8 years, Manchester City’s executives and board directors undertook multiple endeavours of systematic cheating on a massive scale, requiring criminal acts involving: false accounting, fraud, and conspiracy to defraud. The impact was vast and undoubtedly fully corrupted the integrity of the Premier League for over a decade, irreparably damaging the league, its brand, its participants, its partners, and its fans. Once discovered, they stone-walled, obfuscated and misled regulators, even committing further criminal acts to avoid justice, including: perjury, forgery, and perverting the course of justice. To action these criminal feats, they needed to have leveraged state powers of the UAE, to which they clearly have full access and control. And even now, when they have been found guilty, they continue to deny and delay, undertaking as much lawfare as is open to them. The Commission has a duty to issue sanctions that will protect the ongoing integrity of the league. This is made explicit in precedent. Relegation, very clearly, does not achieve that objective. It has always been obvious that the club must be expelled if it is not sold to new, independent owners. There is no alternative sanction that can protect the league from such malign and powerful actors. Given the Commission lacks the power to enforce such a sanction, I suspect they refer the matter to the IFR and apply significant sanctions that will keep Man City out of the league long enough for the IFR to act. Given the Premier League is yet to charge Man City for seasons 2018/19 - 2025/26, that also offers further leverage to ensure the objective is met.