Manchester City, the current Premier League champions, have been hit with 115 allegations of financial fair play violations. In line with Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), top-flight rivals Everton and Nottingham Forest have faced point deductions for similar breaches.
EFL chairman Darragh MacAnthony, who also oversees League One team Peterborough, shared his perspective on the issue, expressing skepticism about significant action being taken against Manchester City.
Drawing a parallel with Juventus, who had a trophy taken from them during the Calciopoli scandal in 2006, MacAnthony told TalkSPORT, “I’m not sure what the policy is for such charges. I have no idea what the penalty is. What the historical precedence is is unknown to me. Two points per charge sounds right.
The media will undoubtedly use headlines like ‘relegation,’ ‘banned,’ ‘league titles from the past given back,’ all of which are ridiculous in my view. Although I know in Italy that happened, I don’t think you can change the past; I find it objectionable.”
MacAnthony emphasized the prevalence of rule-bending in football, saying, “Everyone in football seeks manipulation; let me speak for the EFL; Man City has not done this. With all the pay limitations, restrictions, and everything else, everyone tries to work around the system to sign players and make them as powerful as feasible.
Although I’m not stating anybody is breaching any laws or rules, the Premier League is not exempt from rule-bending activity. And I just say: let it play out, let’s see what happens at the very end. Man City, who they are and what they have done over the past ten years, seem like easy targets and wonderful media coverage.”
Beyond the financial allegations, questions are also being raised about Pep Guardiola’s future at Manchester City, given that he is in the final year of his contract.
MacAnthony commented, “I can’t speak for Pep but I think he’s done six years, maybe more, which is probably a long old period for him. He may be like Jurgen [Klopp] and, following another year of winning X amount consecutively, decide ‘you know what? I should have a year off.’ This game is unrelenting and makes sense what Jurgen Klopp done. Being an owner, a manager, and caught in that rat race for four years since Covid is relentless enough.
You speak about health, mental health, physically, psychologically, these folks are run through the mill. I can only imagine what Pep’s body and mind are experiencing, so perhaps he does need some time off. If I were Man City, I would be like ‘Pep, take a year off, we’ll place your second number two in charge for a year and you can come back after a good break…’ I would have done that with Jurgen.”
Manchester City has rewritten the history books by winning four Premier League championships in consecutive seasons. Before beginning their title defense on August 18 at Stamford Bridge, they will engage in pre-season friendlies in the United States against AC Milan, Barcelona, and Chelsea.
