Forget the visit of Arsenal to the Etihad next weekend. The clash with Inter Milan before that, or the trip to Anfield to face bitter rivals Liverpool at the end of November. Manchester City‘s biggest battle of this season – and perhaps of all-time – will begin in a secret location in London tomorrow (Mon). And this time the English champions will not be able to rely on Pep Guardiola, Erling Haaland or Kevin De Bruyne to win it for them.
Because the contest between City and the Premier League will be one in which the only real winners might just be the lawyers and barristers representing both sides. Brace yourselves, because sport’s ‘trial of the century’ is about to kick off.
A scrap lasting up to 10 weeks between League bosses and their defending champions, that promises to be define the reputations of both parties forever and have seismic consequences. How has it come to this?
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Well, that’s complicated, but in a nutshell City stand accused of breaking the financial rules of the competition they have dominated for the last decade. A staggering 115 charges have been laid at City’s door.
In other words, the club which has won countless trophies since becoming the toy of billionaire Sheikh Mansour in 2008, stands accused of serial cheating. City vehemently deny any wrongdoing and in private remain confident, convinced even in some quarters, their crack team of leading legal eagles will prove it.
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But even if City clear their name and escape punishments ranging from points deductions and record fines, to transfer bans and expulsion from the league, the footballing landscape on these shores will never feel the same again. Chuck enough mud at a wall and eventually some of it will stick. City used to be that working class club neutrals felt sorry for.
They languished down the pyramid and lived in the huge shadow of their neighbours Manchester United.Then the Abu-Dhabi’s ruling family rode into town and everything changed. And the admiration once shown towards City‘s growth and eventual success was ultimately replaced with ambivalence. There is little love and affection held for the club now. Just suspicion, cynicism and outrage. And here lies the greatest shame of all.
(Image: Getty Images)
OK, so Pep Guardiola’s passionate defence of his employers, which includes his claims the club has been discriminated against, deserve to fall of deaf ears.Let’s not forget this is a manager who has been, and still is, backed with the lavish and seemingly endless funds of a nation state.Yet, whatever the outcome of this groundbreaking legal case, there can never be a questioning of Guardiola’s genius.
His brand of football has changed the English game and inspired others greats, like Jurgen Klopp, to imitate him. No one thinks about football like he does, and no-one produces winning teams like he does either. But the world we live in means a long and dark shadow will forever sit on the shoulder of the Spaniard.Which means Guardiola, who most people believe to be the greatest manager in history, will remain arguably the biggest victim of all in this hugely unpalatable and damaging episode.