Manchester City have appealed against their guilty verdict, but the fallout from the bombshell news they cheated the Premier League’s rules for nine years is already sparking plenty of debate
Amanda Staveley helped Sheikh Mansour buy Manchester City in 2008(Image: (Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images))
Amanda Staveley, who helped Sheikh Mansour buy Manchester City in 2008, has urged the Premier League to find an amicable solution to the club’s financial cheating scandal.
City have been found guilty of 114 of the 115 charges levelled at them by the Premier League. The club used “sham” contracts to disguise over £830million of secret funding and systematically break the league’s financial rules between 2009 and 2018.
City have continued to main their innocence and have appealed against the verdict, but are facing serious consequences, including possible relegation from the Premier League or a huge points deduction, fine or transfer ban.
The bombshell news has also cast doubt over Sheikh Mansour’s ownership of the club. The Independent Football Regulator (IFR) has warned they could strip the United Arab Emirates deputy prime minister of the club.
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Sheikh Mansour’s Abu Dhabi United Group bought City in 2008 in a £200million deal which was partly facilitated by Staveley, who pocketed £5m in commission for her assistance. Staveley, who is best known for her role in helping Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) buy Newcastle, has now spoken about City’s case.
“We have such an exciting league. Football in Europe is potentially the most watched sport in the world and we should really nurture this asset,” she reportedly said at Leaders Week London, hosted at Stamford Bridge.
“We should nurture our fans and we should do everything we can to try and make a resolution to the issues that exist today. And I hope that somebody with probably more negotiating abilities [than me] comes in and resolves that issue.
“And I think it will get resolved. I think the Premier League had a difficult thing, an opportunity. But you’ve got to also try to put yourself in the executives’ [at the EPL] position. You’ve got 20 clubs and half of them are shouting at you to do one thing; the rest of the 10 clubs are shouting at you to do another.
“So, as an executive, you’re always pulled; you’re always being threatened to be sued by one club. And you’re meant to actually be co-owners of one league. So, to navigate all of that is really tough.
“And, you know, you’ve got so much pressure on, generally, football at the moment. So, I think we should just focus on the future and getting it right and trying to build bridges with our neighbours.”
The Premier League must first wait for City’s appeal to run its course before any punishment can be enacted.
The guilty verdict has sent shockwaves through the league, with City’s rivals pushing for a harsh punishment that reflects their unprecedented rule-breaking. Enzo Maresca’s side sit top of the Premier League, having won all five of their games this season, ahead of this weekend’s game against Liverpool.
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