Man City's Revenge Could Bring Challenges for West Ham

Manchester City and the Premier League celebrated a win on Monday after a tribunal deemed the associated party transaction (APT) regulations unlawful.

In simple terms, the ruling addresses sponsorship agreements made by companies linked to football club owners. The core idea is that wealthy clubs can sidestep Profitability and Sustainability Regulations (PSR) by securing inflated sponsorship deals that exceed market value, thereby enhancing their revenue.

In Manchester City’s situation, the Abu Dhabi ownership faced accusations of leveraging other businesses tied to the Abu Dhabi United Group. The tribunal has seemingly concluded that the loophole exploited by City was legal; however, the Premier League has stated its intention to “quickly and effectively” amend its rulebook to close this loophole.

You might be wondering how this relates to West Ham. Firstly, it seems the Hammers provided evidence against City during the investigation. Secondly, many fans view Manchester City as the villains in this scenario.

I find this stance quite perplexing, especially since we are currently navigating regulations meant to prevent another ‘Leicester’ from emerging. The Financial Fair Play (FFP) and Profitability and Sustainability Regulations (PSR) are essentially wolves in sheep’s clothing, presenting themselves as a safeguard for clubs against bankruptcy.

In reality, world football is increasingly ring-fencing traditional top clubs, making it nearly impossible for others to compete financially with giants like Manchester United or Real Madrid.

The elite want a closed shop. No matter how you view Roman Abramovich’s takeover at Chelsea, it undeniably disrupted the Arsenal-Manchester United duopoly, allowing new competition to emerge. Sheikh Mansour ibn Zayed Al Nahyan’s investment in Manchester City followed suit, giving two long-time underdogs the chance to challenge the domestic heavyweights.

However, that landscape is shifting. Loopholes and creative financial strategies are being closed at every turn, potentially paving the way for Manchester United, Arsenal, and Liverpool to dominate the league over the next decade.

City and Chelsea are already feeling the effects of these changes and can expect increased scrutiny. This will all be presented under the guise of protecting clubs from going under, yet Manchester City is incredibly wealthy. If their survival were genuinely at stake, they could easily be asked to provide a £500 million bond to safeguard the club against worst-case scenarios.

But that won’t happen, because these rules are more about stifling ambition than safeguarding clubs like Bury.

Sheikh Mansour is a thorn in the side of the established elite.

So, it’s puzzling to see so many West Ham fans celebrating Manchester City’s troubles. There are constant calls of “they broke the rules and must be punished,” without realizing that these same rules could curb any ambition West Ham might harbor.

The very regulations that could lead to Manchester City’s punishment are the same ones that will keep West Ham firmly in their place. Our club currently boasts three billionaires on the board, yet they can’t spend beyond what the rules allow. Advocating for even stricter regulations is, in my opinion, the ultimate example of turkeys voting for Christmas.

Source: https://www.claretandhugh.info/man-city-vendetta-could-be-bad-news-for-west-ham/