Topic: 115 charges for the scorched earth cheating bastards on & off the pitch

[Nick110581]

Why is there such a delay with the 115 charges?

It is farcical.

[BoRed]

Your not looking at it the right way or maybe I should say the way I am looking at it as there is no right way to look at it. City win the league, everyone goes ‘meh’, after enough ‘mehs’ one of two thing happen, either the authorities start doing something about their cheating or people just stop watching, either way the sports washing is detrimentally affected. If Arsenal win the league the cheating looks less of a problem and the sports washing continues because it’s not that much of a big deal if someone else wins the league and the authorities continue to look the other way.

Exactly. No one will do anything until the viewing figures are affected.

[TSC]

Yep. Charges will be dropped for political reasons.

Brown envelopes potentially flying about before the GE.

[Kloppage Time]

The way I look at it is whoever finishes second to city is the actual winner of the league, no difference to a runner coming in behind a doped up winner, City should and hopefully will eventually be disqualified, and all their wins should be marked as being dependent on the outcome of charges, personally I don't understand why commentators and pundits don't mention it in the same way goals are subject to VAR

[jillc]

Your not looking at it the right way or maybe I should say the way I am looking at it as there is no right way to look at it. City win the league, everyone goes ‘meh’, after enough ‘mehs’ one of two thing happen, either the authorities start doing something about their cheating or people just stop watching, either way the sports washing is detrimentally affected. If Arsenal win the league the cheating looks less of a problem and the sports washing continues because it’s not that much of a big deal if someone else wins the league and the authorities continue to look the other way.

I get exactly what you mean about the footballing side of things, but I am less bothered about that and it's more about how sports washing works for Abu Dhabi as a state. Sadly another title will mean another chance to hide to the world how Abu Dhabi do their business, hide their human rights crimes and then win ever more influence with western governments and pretty much whitewash everything they do in the background. It's why City winning is disastrous for football and the world as a whole. Football is supposed to be the game which brings everyone together, now it's covered in the vile stain of sports washing and everything that entails.

[BoRed]

The way I look at it is whoever finishes second to city is the actual winner of the league, no difference to a runner coming in behind a doped up winner, City should and hopefully will eventually be disqualified, and all their wins should be marked as being dependent on the outcome of charges, personally I don't understand why commentators and pundits don't mention it in the same way goals are subject to VAR

Another reason why I'm happy Arsenal dropped points today. I'd have them win it over City any time, but this time we're still in it. And even if we don't win it, I'd rather we finished second than third. Especially if there's a chance City get the title taken off them.

[farawayred]

Brown envelopes potentially flying about before the GE.

Doesn't have to be brown envelopes at all. Perhaps a successful military deal? Or real estate?

[Hazell]

Yep. Charges will be dropped for political reasons.

Dropped or a minor slap on the wrist (small points deduction/fine). It's hard not to be cynical when they can afford the best lawyers to find loopholes and when you have the government getting involved. And with the Premier League rolling over and not fully punishing Everton, it's even more likely they'll get away with it.

[thejbs]

Brown envelopes potentially flying about before the GE.

The likes of UAE and KSA don’t need brown envelopes; They own our government already. All they have to do is threaten to pull a few billion in investment and 115 charges will disappear faster than a journalist who questions them.

[west_london_red]

I get exactly what you mean about the footballing side of things, but I am less bothered about that and it's more about how sports washing works for Abu Dhabi as a state. Sadly another title will mean another chance to hide to the world how Abu Dhabi do their business, hide their human rights crimes and then win ever more influence with western governments and pretty much whitewash everything they do in the background. It's why City winning is disastrous for football and the world as a whole. Football is supposed to be the game which brings everyone together, now it's covered in the vile stain of sports washing and everything that entails.

Disagree, I think their winning shines more light on their sports washing, that’s not to say it gets talked about enough now but it will get talked about even less if they come second but they’ll still carry on cheating.

[thejbs]

The way I look at it is whoever finishes second to city is the actual winner of the league, no difference to a runner coming in behind a doped up winner, City should and hopefully will eventually be disqualified, and all their wins should be marked as being dependent on the outcome of charges, personally I don't understand why commentators and pundits don't mention it in the same way goals are subject to VAR

City should but will not be stripped of a single thing they’ve won. If they ever were, pundits and journalists would be decrying the harsh and unfair punishment with the justification that the team won their games fairly, regardless of the fact it was assembled through cheating.

[farawayred]

City should but will not be stripped of a single thing they’ve won. If they ever were, pundits and journalists would be decrying the harsh and unfair punishment with the justification that the team won their games fairly, regardless of the fact it was assembled through cheating.

As much as everyone cried about Armstrong...

[AndyInVA]

Well said. If Arsenal win it, fair enough, they'll deserve it over the course of a season and I don't see 115 charges against their name. But if anyone thinks that Abu Dhabi winning another title can be a more palatable option then the game really is fucked.

Exactly. And their influence spreads around Europe. It only gets worse.

[A Complete Flop]

Are Manchester City the first fully successful sportswashing football project? I would have to say yes. They have found the perfect formula, which is to completely ignore the authorities, see right through their feeble threats and just carry on.

Their owners have your government and the premier league bought and paid off. They have made a mockery of the sport.

[Nick110581]

Their owners have your government and the premier league bought and paid off. They have made a mockery of the sport.

No one cares enough.

They won a CL last year after avoiding a two year ban due to a technicality.

[ScubaSteve]

What date are we expecting the outcome of these charges to be announced?

[Nick110581]

What date are we expecting the outcome of these charges to be announced?

No one knows.

How can you have a team with 115 charges competing? It makes a mockery of the whole thing.

[smicer07]

No one knows.

How can you have a team with 115 charges competing? It makes a mockery of the whole thing.

And barely even a mention of it in the media.

[elsewhere]

any chance they get pts deduction and relegation soon?

[A Complete Flop]

They will not be punished, I'm utterly convinced of that.

Of course they aren't going to be punished. They will get the largest fine ever handed down to a sporting organisation as that's meaningless to their owners. All that's going on at the moment is the premier league and 115 charges owners deciding when is the best time to release the news of that so it doesn't effect the integrity of the league  if like there is any integrity left.

[JRed]

What date are we expecting the outcome of these charges to be announced?

The 12th of never

[Black Bull Nova]

What date are we expecting the outcome of these charges to be announced?

1st April 2099

[RedSince86]

What a tainted League this is.

Well done all you Journos who lauded them the last 10 years, now you have a Farmer's League.

[Legs]

Have a word with yourselves the ones who say City winning doesn't matter a fuck. Of course it bloody does, they will use their wins to hide their crimes, to get more influence both inside the game and out of it. That is why it would never be good to see City win anything especially the title. Ask those human rights group if they think this is meaning

less?

I hear you Jilic the issue is the PL & Govt are in bed with them so its going to be hard to see them really punished.

The Middle East are hoovering up lots of sports now and pretty much nothing people can do about it (Well they can walk away like me) but MOST people wont do that.

A breakaway (NOT ESL) and fcuk these off is the only way out of this but with how thick tbis country is words like CARTEL get banded about the irony as 115 are the outliners the only ones to NEVER miss CL footy !

[deano2727]

Don't do it to yourselves. They'll get away with a slap on the wrist at most.

[Zizou]

Watch it be some 'suspended' bullshit, like if they do it again, they're kicked out of the league. You can see it coming.

They'll forever be a gang of piss-weak joyless c*nts.

[Legs]

Watch it be some 'suspended' bullshit, like if they do it again, they're kicked out of the league. You can see it coming.

They'll forever be a gang of piss-weak joyless c*nts.

Yep then "Luxury Tax" comes into play.

When that happens Saudi United say to little brother Abu City pipe down now its our time to "win".

[Tonyh8su]

These are a shit stain on a once great and proud sport. They have fucking ruined English top flight football and are heading towards ruining the European Cup as well. I was going to say "single handedly" but it truly isn't. They've been given a helping hand by the press, Sky, BT and the "authorities".

They have a 2 time convicted drug cheat of a manager and never ever ever ever look leggy, ever. Not in all the years we've been up against them. In fact, they get stronger. It's as suspect as their finances.

The other non state owned clubs should have some balls and either form a breakaway league away from these and Newcastle or get them fucked out of the league/push for the same punishment Chelsea got from the Russian oil baron.

They are cancer.

[jckliew]

What a tainted League this is.

Well done all you Journos who lauded them the last 10 years, now you have a Farmer's League.

Indeed. Starting with VAR and PGMOL. Corrupted to the core.

[vblfc]

It’s a strange and nasty time for football. It brings in controls like VAR, FFP to improve the game and somehow manages to enable it getting much worse because they can’t control and govern their own people, rules and processes. We have already seen with VAR that if the PGMOL are brazen enough to tell us that we are not seeing what we clearly know we see (Dokung Fu incident) and pundits go with the gaslighting, we just have to pass over it and get on with it. It’s got no consequence.
Was the same for UEFA charges on City. A very strange CAS process with a biased panel which City then claimed found them “innocent” and they moved on, unconcerned, in fact to win the CL treble. Then there’s FIFA World Cups, bought with bribes, unopposed and again Infantino brazen as you like, doing dodgy deals and no consequences.
Now we have the 115 which we have no idea what or when will be the outcome, and if the City lawyers “win” again we will be told to move on, nothing to see here. We are pretty helpless to do anything because rival clubs, who have tried to work within the rules, can’t get on the same page and work together to clean up the mess.
Sportswashing in football is pretty much the perfect scam. Just ignore the rules, hide in plain sight, throw money and influence at it and use rivalries against each other (how many United, Spurs and Everton fans will love us & Arsenal losing ground to City this weekend?) We all find ourselves as passive observers , even active enablers and it feels likely no-one actually will lay a significant glove on City.

[zero zero]

And as long as fans remain so passive and complacant in this league, nothing changes. It’s so sad how people don’t give a shit about it.  Clubs owned by human rights abusers, yeah, who cares, so long as they bring in the great players we can drool over, oh and stop the teams they hate winning.

PL fans are so damn passive. Every game should be a canvas to protest, every fanbase should have been holding big fuckoff banners that can’t be missed on TV showing support to those jailed in Saudi and Abu Dhabi, and those tortured and murdered, and simply saying 115 charges.

Pure victim blaming

[FiSh77]

It’s a strange and nasty time for football. It brings in controls like VAR, FFP to improve the game and somehow manages to enable it getting much worse because they can’t control and govern their own people, rules and processes. We have already seen with VAR that if the PGMOL are brazen enough to tell us that we are not seeing what we clearly know we see (Dokung Fu incident) and pundits go with the gaslighting, we just have to pass over it and get on with it. It’s got no consequence.
Was the same for UEFA charges on City. A very strange CAS process with a biased panel which City then claimed found them “innocent” and they moved on, unconcerned, in fact to win the CL treble. Then there’s FIFA World Cups, bought with bribes, unopposed and again Infantino brazen as you like, doing dodgy deals and no consequences.
Now we have the 115 which we have no idea what or when will be the outcome, and if the City lawyers “win” again we will be told to move on, nothing to see here. We are pretty helpless to do anything because rival clubs, who have tried to work within the rules, can’t get on the same page and work together to clean up the mess.
Sportswashing in football is pretty much the perfect scam. Just ignore the rules, hide in plain sight, throw money and influence at it and use rivalries against each other (how many United, Spurs and Everton fans will love us & Arsenal losing ground to City this weekend?) We all find ourselves as passive observers , even active enablers and it feels likely no-one actually will lay a significant glove on City.

Only ourselves to blame, we had a chance to have an adult conversation over a possible solution but chose to kick off and call the clubs greedy c*nts instead

[Henry Chinaski]

What a tainted League this is.

To be frank, most football leagues in Europe are as corrupt as they come. Take the Belgian league, for example, which I closely follow as a Belgian; it too is riddled with shady characters from regimes notorious for human rights abuses eagerly snapping up clubs. There, too, are countless bizarre refereeing decisions. And there, too, are many clubs in dire straits that are inexplicably kept afloat. Then there’s the dreadful quality of football, which is simply painful to watch. In this aspect, at least, the Premier League does score some points.

Is the Bundesliga, generally speaking, the only European football league that remains somewhat honorable?

[B0151?]

It's not that I want City to win it. But if they are the only team who finish above us while having 100+ charges and financially doping, then we are the true champions. Simple as that.

By all rights City should have any titles stripped from them if they are found guilty. I understand people have major doubts they will even be found guilty, and if they are how strong their punishment will be. But I believe if that verdict does come in then there will be a lot of people involved, the teams who finished second, who believe they should have those titles stripped.  Like is procedure for when someone has cheated. The huge asterix  would be hard to deny, to sensible people it's already there, but guilty would be undeniable.

[Lee1-6Liv]

Until Man Utd finish the league on 90 odd points and still finish second to City nothing will be said or done and that is a long way off from happening.

[Son of Spion]

Until Man Utd finish the league on 90 odd points and still finish second to City nothing will be said or done and that is a long way off from happening.

And all that would happen is their fans would riot, cheerled by Che Neville, and they'd ramp up demands for a sportswasher to replace the tax dodger and the Glazers.

[carling]

It's not that I want City to win it. But if they are the only team who finish above us while having 100+ charges and financially doping, then we are the true champions. Simple as that.

By all rights City should have any titles stripped from them if they are found guilty. I understand people have major doubts they will even be found guilty, and if they are how strong their punishment will be. But I believe if that verdict does come in then there will be a lot of people involved, the teams who finished second, who believe they should have those titles stripped.  Like is procedure for when someone has cheated. The huge asterix  would be hard to deny, to sensible people it's already there, but guilty would be undeniable.

Kind of how I feel too.  Finishing second to City just feels like you deserve to be champions.

With Arsenal it's easy to point to how many times more money they've been able to spend than Liverpool over the last few years.  But they've done it with income from legit sources, and fair play to their owners for pushing the boat out and backing Arteta like they have.  Finishing second to them is finishing second.

Although I can't see how they'll be able to keep up with the spending, certainly not over the period City have.

Of course the Premier League has been increasingly all about the money for a lot of years now.  I just think with City and now Newcastle waiting in the wings we're seeing the endgame.  If the 115 charges and all the rest of it gets swept under the carpet then that really has got to be it.  The spending bar will be raised yet again and it will finally get to the point where you have got to be mental to try and compete for league titles running your club as a business or in any way sustainably.  You'll need money pumping in from external sources and that's that.

We've been close to it already, only Klopp's ridiculous genius and Arsenal splurging well for 4 years has somehow given the league a modicum of competitiveness.  I think the results of the City case and a 'luxury tax' could just be that final nail.

[Dim Glas]

Pure victim blaming

Weird comment, fans are not victims, no one is making them go or watch games.  It is of course their right to do nothing and be absolutely fine with how things are too, which the majority are I presume, hence the popularity of this league far and wide.

[bradders1011]

Agree with the City to win it if we don't shouts. I never really got it when it was just us v them and Arsenal, United etc. wanted them to win it, but I absolutely get it now. I'd hate Arsenal to win it because it'd be meaningful, it'd put Arteta on a level with Klopp for the banter merchants, it'd get that title monkey off their back. They're a genuine football club and one of our oldest serious rivals.

City winning it means a bus ride down an emptier than usual Deansgate and a shrug of the shoulders.

[Terry de Niro]

Abu Dhabi Globe Trotters.

RIP proper football.