Manchester City Investigated by UEFA Over FFP : Fan Reaction

There has been so much noise about the Financial Fair Play regulations as operated by UEFA since 2014 ever since the German Magazine Der Spiegel started to publish a series of purportedly stolen and hacked emails last year, and rather than building to a crescendo, they have simply fizzled around like a swarm of annoying flies.

Manchester City have pretty much maintained a stance that the allegations reported in the football leaks are based on documents hacked and stolen which have been taken out of context. Indeed it would seem as though the man behind the links is in the process of being extradited from Hungary to Portugal to face criminal charges in relation to what appears to be an alleged attempt to extort money.

Whilst the so called source of the leaks has appeared to be increasingly discredited, the magazine Der Spiegel has also found itself at the centre of allegations about the quality of its journalism after reports that stories were entirely fabricated. Whatever the truth in that – and there are issues in the accuracy and casual racism in the Der Spiegel stories – there is a report that a total of some 70 million documents may have been gained by the hackers. The question is therefore why despite the journalists being in possession of some 70 million reportedly stolen documents, they have decided to concentrate upon a sustained campaign against Manchester City?

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The belief by City fans has been that the stories and angles chosen in the reporting has been led and funded by other noted and interested parties just to discredit City. Certainly when coupled with the suspect machinations behind the implementation of the FFP regulations and the way in which City were found to be in breach back in 2014 tends to look increasingly like a concerted effort rather than happenstance.

City fans tend to have viewed the FFP regulations with suspicion, believing they were designed just to stop the growth of City and were nothing to do with sustainability. It seems a bizarre turn of events that we have failed FFP once already despite having a benevolent owner intent on developing both the Club and the area, whilst in the past when we had a convicted thief and money launderer like Thaksin Shinawatra in charge we would have passed the FFP.

So where does this all leave us as Manchester City fans in the knowledge that UEFA are investigating and City have now issued a robust and defiant rebuttal? Well the answer seems to be not in bitterness or anger but in our customary gallows humour.

On Social Media City fans have speculated about whether having a year off the Champions League would actually be a good thing? It gives us a rest from booing. It makes for a cheaper year of fewer fixtures as a fan. If we follow Liverpool logic then itr may mean we win a domestic treble!

Some have urged our owners to set up an Abu Dhabi Cup with £100 million prize money and just to play in that instead.

Others have suggested City should just announce a new sponsorship deal of huge value or go player shopping crazy in the summer. But what comes through from the fans is not a prevailing sense of worry or anxiety but humour which is driven in part by a casual acceptance of any punishment which may be deserved and a belief that whatever UEFA may desire to throw at us, it cannot be any worse than what the Club has already inflicted upon itself in recent history.

So to all intents and purposes it looks as though there will be a collision course set between our Club and UEFA and in those circumstances it is unlikely anyone will come out victorious. It seems a hiding to nothing. UEFA seem caught up in their own political position – being forced to act is one thing but to be forced to base an investigation upon documents which are stolen seems problematic especially when so many of the alleged crucial documents seem to be legal advice given to the Club and therefore inadmissible in any Court.

So rather than feeling sorry for ourselves as City fans, we do what we do best, we laugh in the face of the threat. Do your best UEFA, and rather than feeling ashamed us fans are revelling in the anxiety and stress it seems to be causing rival fans. We are City.