Gary Neville says he has ‘sympathy’ for Man City over alleged financial breaches
Gary Neville has shared his sympathy for Manchester City after their alleged financial breaches came to light.
City were hit with more than 100 charges relating to alleged breaches of Financial Fair Play regulations on Monday after a four-year investigation by the Premier League. It’s been alleged the Prem champions have failed to provide accurate financial information regarding club and sponsorship revenue, plus operating costs across nine seasons.
But they’ve found an unlikely ally in the form of Neville, who put aside his rivalry with Manchester United’s neighbours to admit he feels sorry for them due to the restrictions Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules come with. Neville explained on The Overlap Live Fan Debate: “On the financial side, I do have some sympathy for Manchester City.
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“If you look at what Jack Walker [former Blackburn Rovers owner] did in 1992, 1993, 1994, that was financial doping but it was deemed to be something completely different because he was a local businessman who pumped money into his club. I’m not a fan of the Financial Fair Play Regulations.
“It means you’ll always have the same clubs at the very top, because their revenues are higher and you’ll always have the lower clubs lower down, because they can’t compete with the revenue. We do need sustainability and cost controls in football, and this is one of the biggest decisions in the next 12 to 18 months.”
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City, who said they were surprised by the claims and welcomed the investigation, will be hoping the appointed independent commission looking into the allegations find them not guilty to avoid the possible penalties they could be hit with, including points deductions and expulsion from the Prem. However, it’s thought the reigning champions will be handed a small points deduction if found guilty, with legal representative Lord Pannick KC of Blackstone Chambers in their corner.
Lord Pannick helped City overturn a two-year suspension from European club competitions in 2020 after UEFA accused City of “serious breaches” regarding Financial Fair Play rules between 2012 and 2016. But the legal wizard might be powerless to prevent manager Pep Guardiola from leaving the club, as reports from The Athletic claim the Spaniard could walk away from his job before the investigation into the team’s alleged breaches concludes.
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