Man City FFP: Scholes makes ‘massive disaster’ claim as Carragher calls out ‘nonsense’
Man City being found guilty of alleged breaches of financial fair play rules would be a “massive disaster” for the club but not English football, according to Man Utd legend Paul Scholes.
The Citizens are facing the threat of a points deduction or even expulsion from the Premier League after being charged with 115 breaches of the competition’s regulations following an investigation into their financial affairs.
A long-awaited hearing into the matter began earlier this week and a verdict is expected to be delivered next year.
Man City manager Pep Guardiola has claimed previously that some of the club’s rivals want to see them found guilty and he appears in no doubt they would expect punishment to be severe.
Guardiola brought up the matter unprompted at a press conference to preview Sunday’s 2-2 draw against Arsenal while ostensibly delivering an answer about the tendency of people to overly criticise isolated bad performances.
He said: “During a season, you can say, ‘Oh, it was a bad season’.
“But for performances some people say, ‘Oh, it’s a disgrace, it is a disaster, it’s unacceptable’. No, during 90 minutes it’s one bad afternoon when they were better.
“But I would say – I’m sorry, I want to defend my club, especially in these modern days when everyone is expecting us not to be relegated, to be disappeared off the face of the Earth, the world – that we have better afternoons than the opponents. That’s why we win a lot.”
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There have been lots of debate about the potential repercussions of a guilty verdict on Man City and the Premier League itself – but Scholes thinks the impact on the Citizens reputation will be far greater than on the English top flight.
Scholes said on The Overlap: “In an ideal world, they [Manchester City’s owners] probably are the best but there’s regulations that you have to keep to. I don’t think it will be a massive disaster for English football [if City are proved guilty]. It will be bad for the integrity of Manchester City, not the league.”
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher insists the vast wealth of Man City’s owners meant everyone “wanted that owner for our club” in the beginning.
Carragher added: “Manchester City got an owner, and if we’re being totally honest, at that time we all wanted that owner for our club to come in, who’s got money, and to take the club to a level that they haven’t been for a long time.
“City weren’t one of the teams competing [before the takeover] – in the 1960s and 1970s they were a top club winning trophies.
“When I see teams that bring the most money in, and I see City above Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United – that is just nonsense. I don’t care how successful you are, that can’t happen, it’s impossible. Real Madrid win the Champions League [most years], so how can City be above Real Madrid?”
