‘Man City Exodus’… Pep and Silva also “leave”
Manchester City are once again on the chopping block for violating the Financial Fair Play (FFP) rule. Even within the team, as the seed of uneasiness grows, there are even signs of ‘Exodus (escape, movement)’.
The English Premier League (EPL) Secretariat said in a statement on the 7th (Korean time), “We have referred Man City’s violation of EPL rules to an independent committee.”
The British BBC and others reported that there were more than 100 violations of Manchester City’s financial rules from 2009 to 2018. The EPL secretariat also added that Manchester City did not provide accurate information on the club’s income and expenses. Some even say that Manchester City could be expelled from the league.
A sense of crisis is spreading within the team. Coach Pep Guardiola (52), who won as many as nine trophies to the team after taking office at Manchester City, hinted that he might leave the team. According to the British edition of Four Four Two, Guardiola said: “I have asked (the club) to be honest about any allegations. If you lie메이저사이트, I will leave. We will no longer be teammates.”
Guardiola has defended City against the allegations. He said it was because he fully believed what Man City said. He further stressed that doing things well for the fans is more important than winning the Champions League and the league. A breakup with Guardiola could become inevitable if the allegations become clear.
Bernardo Silva (29, Portugal) is also preparing to leave the team. A bigger concern is that it could lead to dominoes breaking away. France’s Le 10 Sport said, “Silva wants to leave the team more than ever after his chances to play in the team have decreased after the 2022 Qatar World Cup.” observed.
FFP is a rule established by the European Football Federation (UEFA) to prevent expenditures on player transfer fees or annual salaries from exceeding a certain percentage of revenue. It’s a device that prevents you from spending too much money beyond what you earn.
Man City has grown rapidly since the mid-2000s by injecting huge funds. Excessive spending has become a problem in this process. Three years ago, he was banned from participating in European club competitions and fined by UEFA. At the time, it was an unprecedented case due to Man City appeal, but this time the situation is more serious. The BBC predicted that Manchester City’s violation of the rules could lead to expulsion from the league beyond fines and point reductions if found to be true. Sky Sports in the UK predicted the possibility of a game ban, point reduction, or rematch.
Any form of sanctions is a burden for Manchester City, who aim to win the UEFA Champions League. Even if it ends with just a fine, for the time being, whenever the transfer market opens, there is no choice but to shrink.
Man City, the league champion for two consecutive seasons, is still in second place with 45 points even after playing one more game than current leaders Arsenal (50 points). If they can’t keep the throne, the movement of players who want to leave the team in the summer transfer market can be even stronger.