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š§µ THREAD: Manchester City, the charges, the evidence, & how justice was delayed.
Manchester City werenāt charged because rivals complained or because they 'spent big'. They were charged because evidence shows a decade-long system designed to hide owner funding, inflate revenue & deceive & obstruct investigations.
The Premier Leagueās case didnāt appear overnight.
It began in late 2018, triggered by Football Leaks documents - internal emails, invoices, contracts - that contradicted what City had been telling UEFA & the Premier League for years.
Those emails are the backbone of everything that followed. At the centre of the case is a simple allegation: Manchester City repeatedly disguised owner funding as commercial revenue.
FFP rules require sponsorship income to be real, independent, and market value. What the emails suggest is that Cityās biggest 'sponsors' werenāt paying what City claimed - Abu Dhabi was.
Take Etihad as an example. Leaked emails show City executives discussing Etihad paying only a fraction of headline sponsorship deals, with the shortfall quietly topped up by Abu Dhabi government-linked entities.
One email explicitly references ensuring funds 'come through the correct channels' so they are not detected as separate sources of funding. That is the definition of disguised equity. This wasnāt a one-off.
Emails show Etihad deals where shirt sponsorship, stadium, training kit & campus naming rights were all inflated wildly out of line with the market at the time - later confirmed in the actual contracts, not just drafts.
The numbers in the leaks werenāt hypothetical. They were real. UEFA auditors suspected this as early as 2013ā14.
They found Ā£47m of 'intellectual property' sales boosting income, a Ā£5m 'win bonus' paid for an FA Cup final City lost & sponsorships from Aabar and Etisalat above market value.
City were fined & restricted - but crucially, UEFA never saw the full records. Why? Because City refused to provide them. This becomes a pattern.
When UEFA charged City again in 2020, they imposed a two-year Champions League ban. City appealed to CAS & had it overturned. City fans shout 'INNOCENT', shared out of context screenshots. They're wrong.
CAS did not rule that City were innocent. CAS ruled that UEFA could not meet the burden of proof - largely because City did not co-operate. City were fined ā¬10m specifically for obstructing the investigation.
Even City's own expert witness was denied access to key information that could have disproved disguised funding. 'No evidence' doesnāt mean nothing happened. It means the evidence was withheld.
CAS explicitly stated that disguised equity funding could not be excluded - only that neither side could conclusively prove their case. That vagueness was entirely engineered.
After CAS, new emails emerged suggesting Simon Pearce, a senior City executive & Sheikh Mansour adviser, had given misleading testimony under oath. City declined to comment. Again.
While all this was happening, the Premier League had already been investigating City for years. Cityās response? Delay. Delay. Delay. Obstruct. Litigate.
Court filings later revealed City challenged the legality of the investigation itself, filed repeated procedural applications, refused to hand over documents, forced arbitration, then challenged arbitration & tried to keep the entire process secret.
A High Court judge called it out in 2021. āIt is surprising, and a matter of legitimate public concern, that so little progress has been made.ā Thatās legal spiel for stonewalling.
This obstruction accounts for 35 of the 115 charges alone & thatās before we get to the secret payments.
City declared Roberto Mancini's salary as Ā£1.45m per year. On the same day he signed with City, he also signed a āconsultancyā deal with Al Jazira - a club owned by the same man who owns City - worth Ā£1.75m per year. That deal was explicitly marked confidential.
Emails show City executives arranging the payments. Same signatures. Same people. Same day. The allegation is obvious: City paid Mancini off the books.
Leaked documents allege undeclared payments for Yaya TourĆ©, including via third parties. These arenāt rumours. Theyāre contracts, emails, invoices. This is why there are 14 charges relating to manager and player remuneration.
Then thereās image rights. City told UEFA they sold player image rights for a Ā£24.5m lump sum to comply with FFP. Later, they quietly resumed earning millions from image rights again.
The buyer? A company whose directors included Cityās own senior legal officer. Independent journalists couldnāt even establish its genuine commercial purpose.
All of this feeds into the core allegation across 54 charges: City failed to provide accurate financial information in good faith. Not once. Not twice. But repeatedly, over nearly a decade.
Now add politics. UK government departments discussed Cityās charges with the British embassy in Abu Dhabi. Those communications are sealed - because releasing them could 'damage relations with the UAE'. City insist they are not state-backed. Then why is the state involved?
Yet still, the delays continue. A 12-week closed-door hearing. Half a million documents. Years of silence. City remain 'innocent' - not because the evidence disappeared, but because the verdict hasnāt landed.
This is why the case matters. If City walk away with a fine, it tells every club to cheat cleverly, obstruct endlessly, spend on lawyers, not compliance.. & the rules collapse.
This isnāt about jealousy. It isnāt about success. Itās about whether financial regulation in English football is real - or optional for the richest club in the league.
The evidence exists. The emails exist. The delays are documented. Now only one question remains, do the rules apply to City or not?
Manchester City werenāt charged because rivals complained or because they 'spent big'. They were charged because evidence shows a decade-long system designed to hide owner funding, inflate revenue & deceive & obstruct investigations.
The Premier Leagueās case didnāt appear overnight.
It began in late 2018, triggered by Football Leaks documents - internal emails, invoices, contracts - that contradicted what City had been telling UEFA & the Premier League for years.
Those emails are the backbone of everything that followed. At the centre of the case is a simple allegation: Manchester City repeatedly disguised owner funding as commercial revenue.
FFP rules require sponsorship income to be real, independent, and market value. What the emails suggest is that Cityās biggest 'sponsors' werenāt paying what City claimed - Abu Dhabi was.
Take Etihad as an example. Leaked emails show City executives discussing Etihad paying only a fraction of headline sponsorship deals, with the shortfall quietly topped up by Abu Dhabi government-linked entities.
One email explicitly references ensuring funds 'come through the correct channels' so they are not detected as separate sources of funding. That is the definition of disguised equity. This wasnāt a one-off.
Emails show Etihad deals where shirt sponsorship, stadium, training kit & campus naming rights were all inflated wildly out of line with the market at the time - later confirmed in the actual contracts, not just drafts.
The numbers in the leaks werenāt hypothetical. They were real. UEFA auditors suspected this as early as 2013ā14.
They found Ā£47m of 'intellectual property' sales boosting income, a Ā£5m 'win bonus' paid for an FA Cup final City lost & sponsorships from Aabar and Etisalat above market value.
City were fined & restricted - but crucially, UEFA never saw the full records. Why? Because City refused to provide them. This becomes a pattern.
When UEFA charged City again in 2020, they imposed a two-year Champions League ban. City appealed to CAS & had it overturned. City fans shout 'INNOCENT', shared out of context screenshots. They're wrong.
CAS did not rule that City were innocent. CAS ruled that UEFA could not meet the burden of proof - largely because City did not co-operate. City were fined ā¬10m specifically for obstructing the investigation.
Even City's own expert witness was denied access to key information that could have disproved disguised funding. 'No evidence' doesnāt mean nothing happened. It means the evidence was withheld.
CAS explicitly stated that disguised equity funding could not be excluded - only that neither side could conclusively prove their case. That vagueness was entirely engineered.
After CAS, new emails emerged suggesting Simon Pearce, a senior City executive & Sheikh Mansour adviser, had given misleading testimony under oath. City declined to comment. Again.
While all this was happening, the Premier League had already been investigating City for years. Cityās response? Delay. Delay. Delay. Obstruct. Litigate.
Court filings later revealed City challenged the legality of the investigation itself, filed repeated procedural applications, refused to hand over documents, forced arbitration, then challenged arbitration & tried to keep the entire process secret.
A High Court judge called it out in 2021. āIt is surprising, and a matter of legitimate public concern, that so little progress has been made.ā Thatās legal spiel for stonewalling.
This obstruction accounts for 35 of the 115 charges alone & thatās before we get to the secret payments.
City declared Roberto Mancini's salary as Ā£1.45m per year. On the same day he signed with City, he also signed a āconsultancyā deal with Al Jazira - a club owned by the same man who owns City - worth Ā£1.75m per year. That deal was explicitly marked confidential.
Emails show City executives arranging the payments. Same signatures. Same people. Same day. The allegation is obvious: City paid Mancini off the books.
Leaked documents allege undeclared payments for Yaya TourĆ©, including via third parties. These arenāt rumours. Theyāre contracts, emails, invoices. This is why there are 14 charges relating to manager and player remuneration.
Then thereās image rights. City told UEFA they sold player image rights for a Ā£24.5m lump sum to comply with FFP. Later, they quietly resumed earning millions from image rights again.
The buyer? A company whose directors included Cityās own senior legal officer. Independent journalists couldnāt even establish its genuine commercial purpose.
All of this feeds into the core allegation across 54 charges: City failed to provide accurate financial information in good faith. Not once. Not twice. But repeatedly, over nearly a decade.
Now add politics. UK government departments discussed Cityās charges with the British embassy in Abu Dhabi. Those communications are sealed - because releasing them could 'damage relations with the UAE'. City insist they are not state-backed. Then why is the state involved?
Yet still, the delays continue. A 12-week closed-door hearing. Half a million documents. Years of silence. City remain 'innocent' - not because the evidence disappeared, but because the verdict hasnāt landed.
This is why the case matters. If City walk away with a fine, it tells every club to cheat cleverly, obstruct endlessly, spend on lawyers, not compliance.. & the rules collapse.
This isnāt about jealousy. It isnāt about success. Itās about whether financial regulation in English football is real - or optional for the richest club in the league.
The evidence exists. The emails exist. The delays are documented. Now only one question remains, do the rules apply to City or not?
We still haven't had a verdict in the 115 charges against City for (alleged) financial malfeasance. City are spending more money this winter, chasing another title. Ed and Adam pick up the story. @AdamJoseph
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This is just embarrassing.
Suing Jamie Carragher for what is only an opinion, one that you might not agree with, but is not harmful at all.
Suing Jamie Carragher for what is only an opinion, one that you might not agree with, but is not harmful at all.
Aston Villa will initiate legal action against Jamie Carragher for his unacceptable insults about the Club and its fans.
Aston Villa will not allow anyone to stop our ascension in English and European football.
Nassef Sawiris, Chairman
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Dressing up in Manchester United gear for a Halloween party this weekend because they've become my worst nightmare.
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Adam retweeted
Our board is MAGA & Reform and we wonder why the club is run horribly š
šØšØ| NEW: Manchester United director Edward Glazer has donated $200,000 to Donald Trumpās Republican Party ahead of the US midterm elections. šŗšøš°
[@MattHardyJourno]
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Adam retweeted
š°NEW: Manchester United director Edward Glazer has donated $200,000 to Trumpās Republican Party ahead of the midterms, @CityAM can reveal.
Owners at Palace, Villa, Bournemouth and Ipswich (as well as Boehly) have given cash ahead of Tuesdayās vote, too.
cityam.com/manchester-uniā¦
Owners at Palace, Villa, Bournemouth and Ipswich (as well as Boehly) have given cash ahead of Tuesdayās vote, too.
cityam.com/manchester-uniā¦
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Adam retweeted
Kobbie Mainoo is part of the #MUFC travelling squad against #CFC, and is expected to be part of the matchday squad too barring any surprise changes. The 21 yo has trained with the squad all week. Huge boost for United in a time of great need. @UtdDistrict roundtable.io/sports/soccer/ā¦
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Look at those who benefit & profit most when Manchester United fails. The United Stand copied the AFTV outrage bait model, built their channel off of it & now use it to influence millions.
Anyone with a shred of media literacy knows the club churns clicks bigger than any other in the world, especially now when it's dire. While it is far from the biggest problem the club has, it certainly doesn't help.
Neville & Goldbridge are a match made in hell.
Anyone with a shred of media literacy knows the club churns clicks bigger than any other in the world, especially now when it's dire. While it is far from the biggest problem the club has, it certainly doesn't help.
Neville & Goldbridge are a match made in hell.
How talking about Man Utd's cycle of doom became an industry bbc.in/4zWTxu4
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Adam retweeted
So hereās where we are atā¦..
@The__1958 cannot fight this battle against the owners on their own, thatās plain to see.
Unless ALL major supporters groups of MANCHESTER UNITED come together and start singing from the same song sheet then we are totally fucked.
Itās a now or ion. itās time for every supporters club, fan group and offical trust to work towards a greater good.
Fuck dialogue with the club, itās pointless and has been for years.
I believe the only way forward is for the FAB and FF to cut the club off with a vote of no confidence. Thatās the start. Thenā¦. Let your feet do the talking, however that looks. Any details of protests, be it a walk out, sit in, boycott or whatever the plan may be will be utterly pointless unless everyone supports it.
Thats the sad reality here, time to wake the fuck up orā¦ā¦
Enjoy Ratcliffe and the Glazers for the unforeseeable
Itās up to you
@The__1958 cannot fight this battle against the owners on their own, thatās plain to see.
Unless ALL major supporters groups of MANCHESTER UNITED come together and start singing from the same song sheet then we are totally fucked.
Itās a now or ion. itās time for every supporters club, fan group and offical trust to work towards a greater good.
Fuck dialogue with the club, itās pointless and has been for years.
I believe the only way forward is for the FAB and FF to cut the club off with a vote of no confidence. Thatās the start. Thenā¦. Let your feet do the talking, however that looks. Any details of protests, be it a walk out, sit in, boycott or whatever the plan may be will be utterly pointless unless everyone supports it.
Thats the sad reality here, time to wake the fuck up orā¦ā¦
Enjoy Ratcliffe and the Glazers for the unforeseeable
Itās up to you
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Adam retweeted
Vinnie Jones and Sir Patrick Stewart recreating Jonesā infamous football photo on the set of X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
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Ruben Amorim coming off his first Serie A loss wonāt want to make it two in a row in the Milan derbyā¦
Paid partnership with Rainbet. 18+ only.
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Back either AC Milan or Inter & get DOUBLE profit If the winning team scores 3 goals or more!
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Vincent Kompany isn't likely to be on the sidelines but Bayern Munich still have plenty of firepower to do the job against Borussia Dortmund.
Sponsored by Rainbet | 18+ only | #ad
Gamble responsibly. Set limits. This is not advice.
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Sponsored by Rainbet | 18+ only | #ad
Gamble responsibly. Set limits. This is not advice.
Help: gamblinghelponline.org.au | 1800 858 858
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Adam retweeted
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to:
Johns Hopkins Alzheimerās Disease Research Center Fund Ā Ā
alzresearch.org/giving/
Alzheimerās Foundation of America Caregiver Resources Ā Ā
alzfdn.org/donate/
Photo Credit: Tommy Garcia
Johns Hopkins Alzheimerās Disease Research Center Fund Ā Ā
alzresearch.org/giving/
Alzheimerās Foundation of America Caregiver Resources Ā Ā
alzfdn.org/donate/
Photo Credit: Tommy Garcia
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Adam retweeted
All at Huddersfield Town are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of lifelong supporter Sir Patrick Stewart. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones at this sad time.
A titan of his craft and a legend and hero to millions worldwide, his legacy will live on. Fiercely roots, Sir Patrick was a Terrier in every sense, and weāre proud to have counted him as one of our own.
Once a Terrier, always a Terrier š
#htafc
A titan of his craft and a legend and hero to millions worldwide, his legacy will live on. Fiercely roots, Sir Patrick was a Terrier in every sense, and weāre proud to have counted him as one of our own.
Once a Terrier, always a Terrier š
#htafc
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Manchester United are interested in Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who they could have had on a free in 2025 but everyone turned their nose up at him.
Manchester United are interested in Eddie Howe, who Dan Ashworth wanted but Sir Jim Ratcliffe found this to be lacking in charisma & ambition.
You really can't make this shit up, can you? The reactivity of the club & the slowness with which they move is laughably amateurish.
Manchester United are interested in Eddie Howe, who Dan Ashworth wanted but Sir Jim Ratcliffe found this to be lacking in charisma & ambition.
You really can't make this shit up, can you? The reactivity of the club & the slowness with which they move is laughably amateurish.
#MUFC exploring market for centre-forwards in January, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin under consideration.
Move considered remote given rivalry between teams.
Leeds believed to be looking at securing new contract for star striker.
w/ @BerenCross ā¬ļø
nytimes.com/athletic/77351ā¦
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Adam retweeted
Itās crazy how fiercely he defended City against the cheating allegations before they were found guilty. Why? He doesnāt care less that the only way City can be successful is through cheating, so why did he used to cry on the Overlap when people called them cheats? š
Iāve just realised that if we hadnāt signed Rulli for Ā£4M in the summer of 2016 and sold him again in January 2017, we wouldnāt have been able to sign him for Ā£1.7M in 2026 and he wouldnāt have been able to save two penalties tonight and send us through to the Quarter Finals.
Brighton must feel unbelievably cheated and rightly so. I donāt think this trophy will feel real if we go on to win itā¦
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Great that Gary Neville is speaking against the Glazers & the increased media attention on them, Manchester United fans have always wanted this kind of scrutiny.
But why isn't Gary naming Sir Jim Ratcliffe here too though? His impact on things has been disastrous.
(We know why)
But why isn't Gary naming Sir Jim Ratcliffe here too though? His impact on things has been disastrous.
(We know why)
"They have to sell now, enough is enough!" š”
More drama at Man United, and Gary wants change at the top! š“
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Adam retweeted
Iran is executing athletes. Several more are now on death row. Please, please retweet as the only thing that has shown any potential to deter the regime is international scrutiny and pressure theguardian.com/global-developā¦
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Adam retweeted
I'm glad everyone is starting to realise just how unbearable this lad is. Embodies absolutely everything I hate about modern football
"I genuinely couldn't care less!" š£ļø
Luke stands his ground when questioned over Man City's silverware following their charges! š
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