Looks like Frankfurt told City to fuck off. Not selling Marmoush before their match against Dortmund on Friday. Paid off so far because the player scored and assisted important goals in their last two games and beating Dortmund would be huge in the fight for CL spots.
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I accept Iām in the minority, but I like stories like these. Just like I like how Zubimendi told us no (although I donāt like the way his club subsequently treated him).
I think football would be all the better for it if it was more competitive overall, rather than a few clubs hoarding all the āgoodā players.
We have been the beneficiary of it so often, but Iām tired of seeing the same old names over and over again.
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Not just that but if the guy was the subject of real interest from the worldās richest club and he goes on to have an excellent performance for his current club despite that speculation, itās a welcome change from the likes of Coutinho who threw a strop under the same circumstances.
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You know thereās that hideous Americanism āwinningestā?
Well, City should have their own word: cheatingest.
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To be fair to him, itās not remembered much but Coutinho did both.
In 2017-18 before he left, he had 7 goals and 6 assists in 1113 minutes in 14 games in the league, or 85.6 minutes per goal contribution, and 5 goals 2 assists in 347 minutes in 5 games in the Champions League, for 69.4 minutes per goal, 49.6 minutes per goal contribution. No doubt that contributed to Barcelona being convinced he was worth being the second most expensive transfer ever at that time.
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So looks like they could be lining up deals this month for Marmoush at Ā£65m, Khusanov at Ā£34m, Reis at Ā£30m and Cambiaso at Ā£67m.
Nearly Ā£200m all in. Either they know thereās nothing coming from these 130 charges or that theyāre just getting a transfer ban and so are doing some business early.
Feels like a reaction to more than just the drop off theyāve had this season.
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They have let a few players go and havenāt particularly spent heavy in recent times. If these are the prices they are reporting they arenāt massive if they were given a deduction that relegated them they would get the 3 year period.
They will only go as low as the championship and with the quality still around they probably would come back up. Letās face it their owners can cover any shortfall and any future issues will be the slight slap on the wrist as seen with Forest and Everton.
Whatever Penalty they get wonāt be enough but a sizeable points deduction could be possible.
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Any punishment isnāt going to come into effect probably end of next season. The first results arenāt due to early spring then they will appeal which has been stated probably wouldnāt happen till December/Jan then you are waiting till May for judgement.
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to me it must mean they have some reassurances from the leagueā¦
the only way even the greediest of players signs for them is if they know they can still be premierleague footballers next seasonā¦
im afraid this flurry of activity means only one thingā¦
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Itās what clauses are for.
therell be clause etcā¦
but even just activating a clause (against a nation state no less) brings upheaval and uncertaintyā¦
and its more than that, whats the best project for thier own career? one that might or might not be able to buy players for the next 18 months with star players winding contracts down and checking out mentally, or one with positive momentumā¦
i understand the contractual failsafes will be put in place, i was more refering to the clubs vision and immediate futureā¦
to me if they go large on quality players, theyll have had some assurancesā¦
now if they go out and buy a Neymar or some other window dressing mercenary that doesnt have an ambition above moneyā¦id be getting a bit excited that they were nearly in checkmateā¦
ā¦ That it is better to stop taking football seriously.
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Also this:
https://x.com/David_Ornstein/status/1880163283677901004
They probably know that they are going to come out of this smelling of roses.
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Did anyone think theyd be found guilty? Theyāve paid millions in legal fees and these lawyers will tie everyone in knots.
I heard Theyāve paid more in lawyer fees - and thats so far - than the premier league is worth.
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Iāve never had any hope of a meaningful punishment. Theyāve bottomless cash for the worldās best lawyers, bungs etc. We really need to win the league this year!
I donāt think the contract length means anything in this day. If Halaand wants to move, they wonāt stand in his way for very long.
Itās never a good idea to keep an employee which wants to keave, whatever the business.
Paying more and promising investing in the squad has been their way of getting players, since they bought the club.
So business as usual.
Iād even say they wonāt mind dropping a division or two, since with the squad and money they have, they are guaranteed to come straight back up. (That doeanāt mean they wonmt fight tooth and nail through lawyers as well)
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Maybe naively, I did. And still do.
I hope thiscurrent spending is panic before they are nailed with sanctions.
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Have to disagree with you there, mate.
The whole point of sportswashing is to legitimise their regime. Anything that can be portrayed in a negative light, and used to give them a bad name, would be counterproductive to their overarching goal.
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Hes won the prem and champions league.
He is now planning to win every league in English football.
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What I meant is that even if they have to drop a division or two, in the grand scheme it would just be a blip.
It would be an error to just think about just the PR aspect, thereās the whole business side where they heavily invested and bought in UK that I donāt expect to truly suffer from a relegation.
Whatever deals have been made around this at governement level wonāt be questioned just based on a sporting fraud.
And yes, Iām talking out of my arse based on what I read, and I could be wildly misunderstanding the situation. 