@Michael Sith, the first time was in '92 when English sides (possibly except Liverpool) were allowed back in to European comps and European football had great novelty value, I can't remember pre the ban, and European football was also streets ahead of the English domestic game. Plus Utd were just at the start of their period of dominance so my utter hatred hadn't quite developed to what it is now.
The second one was against PSG who has literally dived, rolled about the ground, cheated, time wasted and called for a yellow card the second a Liverpool, player came within 5 yards of them. I do mean EVERY SINGLE ****ING TIME as well. It was THAT ridiculous that it got me over nearly 30yrs of hatred of Utd.
Other than that, I cheer for whoever Utd is playing EVERY SINGLE TIME. Even if it is City and them dropping points would suit Pool, I still cant cheer for Utd.
Nice to see Conte going quietly as we all knew he would. He probably has a very valid point, but **** me, he has basically just dared the Board to sack him.
Points deduction, relegation and banned from promotion for 3 years maybe - not sure how the championship sides would feel about that
That's not a bad idea. Obviously every single big name would be out of City like a shot. Pep, Haaland and KDB rocking up to Rotherham's ground (I don't even know what it's called) for a random Thursday night game, having played Stoke 48 hours previously……I don't think so.
Although with City's money they will just sell the big names, buy a "good" Championship side and then come straight up after 3 yrs and buy an entire new team.
Granted FFP would mean the reduced TV rights money had a knock on effect on their budget and sponsors would demand rebates or offer less. But as most of their "sponsors" seem to be owned by the same Gov that owns them……by strange coincidence…..that may not be an issue. Or would only be while they were in the championship, as soon as they get back to the PL suddenly the shirt sponsors goes from 10m a year to 500m and they can now afford to buy a new top level PL team AND stay inside the FFP rules. Plus the, going down and the big names all leaving would give them a huge inflow of funds, albeit players maybe sold at slightly reduced values. They would still be more than your average Championship club makes in transfers in a season (probably more like 10 seasons).
Whatever the value of their current squad is, even if they were all sold for only 40% of that, that figure is still more than enough to buy a "good" Championship side, pay their wages for 3 yrs and wait your time,
It is genuinely going to be very interesting to see how the FA/PL deal with it. My money is still on a fudge and a minor/pointless fine. But over a hundred alleged breaches would make that very hard, and it sounds like the other PL clubs are rightly gunning for them. The other member of the big six in particular.
The punishment should fit the crime, or else what's to stop someone else doing the same? Stripped of their titles, and probably domestic cups, and relegated sounds like a minimum to me. There will obviously be a fine too, albeit that is just so the FA/PL can afford to have some extra fancy new offices and some more secretaries etc
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