No one can deny that Manchester City has experienced an extremely successful journey: It took them only 15 years to climb to the top of English football without a trace.
“The Citizens” spent billions of pounds wisely to bring home 6 Premier League trophies, 2 FA Cups, 6 League Cups and other big and small prizes.
Athletic believes that on Manchester City’s road to “buying success with money”, they don’t seem to face any significant non-professional obstacles, at least for now. The last time they faced a penalty was a two-year ban from the Champions League, given by UEFA in 2020. However, just 5 months later, the blue half of Manchester was approved by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). ) acquitted.
Manchester City is like untouchable. They are completely immune to criticism and insults, always confident in implementing the policies of the club without having to worry about the legitimacy of those policies.
Everything was true until February 6 when the Premier League organizers announced that Manchester City were facing more than 100 charges related to financial fair play.
The other side succeeds
Immediately, a club representative said that they were “very surprised by these allegations” and “hopefully can resolve the issues related to this incident once and for all”.
There is no word yet on what decision the Premier League committee will make on Manchester City. However, it is understandable that this incident is very serious because the Premier League has never been a too strict league in matters related to the rules.
And perhaps, no member club is willing to go public with the richest (and most successful in recent years) member of the league.
If the charges are upheld, Manchester City’s successful era will forever be seen as “illegal”. It’s just an inevitable reward after they have spent money that other teams don’t own and broken the rules that those teams follow.;;
On the pitch, Manchester City are on course to become the greatest team of their generation. However, with the current situation, that title will also be deprecated by countless people because of the controversy outside the pitch. The essence of sport, after all, is fair competition.
After the charges are approved by the Premier League committee, the history of the Etihad Stadium team will always have a stain of fraud that they cannot hide even with the help of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). .
On the afternoon of February 6, the club also said that they “have sufficient evidence to counter the allegations”. Many fans of “The Citizens” also defied the allegations and said that their favorite football team is being targeted just to attract public attention.
But perhaps, Manchester City, and their fans, must understand that every team will have its ups and downs.
For the past 15 years, they have been enjoying moments that would never have happened had the Al Nahyan family not bought the club in 2008, then promoted them to Abu Dhabi. Win over Manchester United in the 2011 FA Cup semi-final, then win the first trophy. Sergio Aguero’s golden goal against Queens Park Rangers brought the 2012 Premier League title…
The flowery football that coach Manuel Pellegrini brought with the Yaya Toure nucleus far exceeds the level of other players in the same position in the Premier League, the championship season with 100 points under coach Pep Guardiola, the championship race. “unprecedented” with Liverpool or Ilkay Gundogan’s goal to save the Premier League trophy just 9 months ago…
These moments will forever be kept in the memory of every Manchester City fan whether their team is sanctioned for cheating, or even stripped of their trophies.
Under coach Pep Guardiola, Manchester City seemed to play “alien” football, smashing records for points, wins and goals in a Premier League season. They have won five Premier League trophies since the traditional “neighborhood” team Manchester United last won the throne. They have also won nine times at Old Trafford in the past 11 years, prompting “Red Devils” fans to remove a poster that “criticizes” Manchester City as a titleless team.
Despite not having won the Champions League, the dream of “The Citizens” fans has come true.
During this time, Manchester City have had the services of the best names of their generation: Carlos Tevez, David Silva, Yaya Toure, Sergio Aguero, Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva… and now Erling Haland. Obviously, no player will put pen to paper on a contract with the green half of Manchester if it weren’t for the financial strength of the Abu Dhabi owners.
So if a punishment, even a heavy one, is given and means the end of Manchester City’s era, perhaps no one will be able to properly raise grievances.
They have climbed to the top and gone further than anyone could have imagined since the Abu Dhabi owners bought the club from Thaksin Shinawatra in 2008.
Regardless of what happens to Manchester City, this will most likely be the time for fans to untie the knots that have been around for a long time. Although it is increasingly difficult to separate, the club and the ownership rights of the owners remain separate.
What awaits Man City?
Fans can enjoy 15 years of achievements, victories, trophies and beautiful football. But they are also not forced to defend the owners and policies that have led Manchester City to success.
Manchester City FC existed for 114 years before they became the brand representing Abu Dhabi and a soft power tool for a regime accused of human rights abuses. They also have as rich a history as any other club. Joe Mercer’s glory years, thrilling win over Gillingham, Bert Trautmann’s personal brilliance, Rodney Marsh’s broken promises, Georgi Kinkladze’s magic, Peter Swales’ long years…
Loyal Manchester City fans have been with the club through difficult years with the 30,000-capacity Maine Road stadium when they were in what is now the First Division. And they deserve to enjoy the past 15 years of the team’s success, regardless of the ruling elite and the way they operate.
There will also be a generation of Manchester City fans who have come to the club from those successful years. They will never remember Jason van Blerk, Maurizio Gaudino, Lee Bradbury, Buster Phillips, Christian Negouai, the names of “The Citizens” back in the day. But that doesn’t mean they never showed up.
At the Etihad at the moment, it will be difficult to tell the difference between owners and clubs. Through the meeting room, the stadium name, sponsor text on the jersey, the banners read “Abu Dhabi Experience”, “Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi”, “Dubai Expo 2020” or “Manchester City thank you sir” Sheikh Mansour”.
However, the club’s core values, the fans and their families, history and inherent memories existed long before the Dubai owners arrived and will be there long after they have arrived. leave. This sounds far-fetched at the moment and no one is sure that the Abu Dhabi era in Manchester City will come to an end. But at this time last year, who would have imagined that Chelsea would no longer be owned by billionaire Roman Abramovich? Now he has ceded the club and Chelsea still retains the personality they already possess.
No one can predict the future of Manchester City. And no one knows that they are still as successful as in their “near past”. But perhaps, the uncertain future is the price to pay and also the opportunity to renew the club after 15 years of success comes too easily.
