15 May 2019 10:49:08
Question for ed002 please,

As someone who has long held the belief that a pan European league will form I wondered if I might ask a question with that in mind.

Should Uefa recommend a ban for city (as some expect) and should city appeal that decision and overturn it (as even more expect) would this give weight to the idea that uefa is ineffective in this regard and encourage teams to press forward and form that pan European league you have talked about in the past?

It's a very very complicated issue and I'm not really interested in making you discuss minutiae or specifics but with FFP being the flagship policy of uefa it struck me that if they cannot or will not enforce it, this may undermine their authority and encourage teams to form their own.

P. S despite never seeing the rumour in mainstream media before a friend of mine at de bilde also confirmed what you've been telling us for years about teams meeting in secret to discuss it.

{Ed002's Note - It is rather more complicated than that as both FIFA and UEFA are involved with a series of issues covering potential financial matters, problems with registrations with players in England and Wales (hence The FA fine), problems with the interpretation of the rules that a number of Premier League clubs are to be targeted for (with Chelsea being the first) and one overwhelming legal issue that might become two or more. It is nothing to do with UEFA and Manchester City as such, and not any more than it is to do with PSG or Milan and the financial matters they must address by June 30. The issue surrounding "sponsorship", or more specifically a "sponsorship cap" for FFP has been around since 2012 or 2013 and attempts to resolve it with the "elite" sides failed over a relatively small amount - and that is now biting very hard indeed. UEFA remain very concerned with the significant imbalance in the finances of a handful of clubs plus the entire Premier League - and it is that which puts them on the back foot in trying to address issues raised by individual clubs and indeed other leagues across Europe. They remain fearful of the "elite" giving notice for anytime post 2024 - hence the efforts to come up with a plan they can control. And, as I have explained, FIFA have other plans they would like to impose.}

1.) 15 May 2019
15 May 2019 11:40:41
Thank you Ed002, brilliant info as ever.

2.) 15 May 2019
15 May 2019 23:10:36
Thanks for the response ed. I was very interested to hear your take on the issue. Much appreciated.

{Ed002's Note - You are welcome.}