Verdict against Manchester City 'taints' Premier League era, columnist says
On Friday a tribunal delivered a verdict against Manchester City in a process concerning their Premier League title triumphs, Guardian columnist Barney Ronay wrote.
Ronay wrote: "Whatever punishment Manchester City and their owners receive at the end of this process, the fact remains, everything is tainted now." He also noted the presumption of innocence remains in place and that there could be "mega-bucks final appeals." The club continues to deny the allegations and has not been found guilty of all of the "100-plus charges," Ronay added. He recorded that it has been eight years since Der Spiegel published the first allegations and that the original whistleblower, Rui Pinto, is in witness protection after being found guilty of information-related offences.
The columnist described the prolonged nature of the case as a consequence of what he called a "lawfare-level response," arguing that the club's legal strategy, including expensive lawyers and threats to bankrupt opponents, helped delay resolution. Ronay wrote it was worrying that an accusation of not cooperating with financial reporting, which might on its face be cleared up quickly, took years to reach a verdict. He suggested that the scale and resources involved in the defence contributed to the lengthy process.
Ronay framed the tribunal outcome as a defence of the rule of law, writing that a tribunal finding owners guilty deserved recognition "outside the Royal Courts of Justice." He wrote that this was "a great day for the Premier League, which must be commended above all for its refusal to bend," and said the verdict was a small but high-profile rejection of the idea that wealth and influence can steamroller regulation and process.
Addressing the commercial and reputational stakes, Ronay warned that the potential destruction of Manchester City's brand was one of the key consequences still on the table and that what supporters paid for during the period was now in question. He wrote: "Arguably everyone who bought a Sky Sports subscription in that period now has a legal claim against City. I signed up for sport. This was an exhibition event." The columnist said there was little mitigation for not reporting financial information because in football success is defined by expenditure.
Ronay set out potential remedies and consequences, writing that clubs that lost out during City’s period of dominance might consider suing for compensation and that the Premier League could pre-empt such claims by stripping titles and reallocating glory. He listed the clubs that "might have won league titles in those years" as: "Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal."
Ronay noted a Bloomberg report that the UAE had been in touch with the UK government expressing concerns about the Premier League process. He concluded that the entire process "stands as a warning for every sport with it eyes in a spin at the offer of transformative financial investment," and added: "Look very hard at who you get into bed with. Jam today, pain tomorrow. And it never, ever comes for free."