Ever since Manchester City were taken over by Sheikh Mansour in 2008 they have been painted as football’s villain. City ruining football, Manchester City is buying trophies and various other jibes have become the norm. Despite all of this and a lot more serious accusations the treble winners have just continued winning.
Accusations against Manchester City
Since the club were charged by the Premier League with 115 breaches of financial Fairplay rules the consensus appears to be that City are guilty of all charges. When the club was charged Manchester City released a statement saying they welcomed the chance for an independent body to review the case. Despite the club facing charges from the Premier League, on the field City marched on and claimed the treble. It could be argued that the charges inspired the coaching staff and players to such lofty heights.
I’ll never forget Pep’s interview after the 115 charges were announced. Just ice cold 🥶 pic.twitter.com/Kp2jbtLP9Q
— Esteemed Kompany (@esteemedkompany) November 22, 2023
Earlier this week a vote took place to over a proposed ban on ‘related party loans’. The move was expected to pass which would have banned loans between clubs with the same owners. Instead, the move was vetoed as 8 clubs voted against the move. City, Chelsea, Newcastle, Everton, Sheffield United, Nottingham Forest, Wolves and Burnley voted against the move which saw it fail to pass. The 8 clubs have been touted as rebels for denying the move. Once again Manchester City are painted as the villain of the piece and to a lesser extent the other 7 clubs who voted against the proposal.
They are just two of the most recent examples of Manchester City being painted as the villain. It happened in 2020 when City were initially banned by UEFA from the Champions League for two seasons. It was a cause of celebration in some quarters. The celebration didn’t last as that verdict was overturned by CAS on appeal by City. The findings of CAS may again be relevant when the Premier League’s case against Manchester City is eventually resolved.
Summary
While it has been an eventful period off the pitch for the European champions, one constant has remained true. Pep Guardiola and his squad of players have continued to win. Last season’s treble is overwhelming evidence of this. The players and staff have a remarkable ability to ignore the outside noise and perform remarkable feats on the pitch.
A verdict will come in time for the Premier League’s case against Manchester City. When it does it should put to bed the background noise one way or another. Until it does one thing appears certain. City will keep on winning while the noise lingers in the background.
