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The 2023-2024 Football Thread
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Guardiola will leave City at the end of his current contract next season.
Pep Guardiola is expected to LEAVE Man City next summer
JACK GAUGHAN: The Catalan, who joined the club eight years ago, has 12 months left on a contract that sources believe will be his last at the Etihad Stadium.
Ha ha. Thanks!
Am I happy with the result? That's a great question. At full-time I was ecstatic.
Now I am wondering if we really need the headache of competing with the big boys again.
Leeds and Saints fans were debating the merits (or lack thereof) of winning this game - the general consensus was that it's a 50/50 call as to whether it's a good thing or not.
We are where we belong, but we need to spend some cash so we don't continue to struggle in the relegation zone. Now our connection with Man City has departed (Head of recruitment, Mr Wilcox), we may struggle to get those elusive academy loan players that we were getting with the Man City tie-up.
First signing completed though - upon promotion, Harwood-Bellis' transfer clause activated, so we're spending £20m on him immediately, as he comes off loan. He's a solid purchase and is a very handy CB to have in the squad.
How has Flynn Downes done for you? He’s coming back to us next season so was wondering how he performed.
In my opinion Guardiola will wait to see what the outcome of the 115 charges against City will result in because remember the investigation by the PL is from 2009 to 2018 which happens to include 2 years of Guardiola time as manager due to him joining the club in 2016. So there is a possibility he could be penalised by the PL. But more importantly, as a worker within the PL (they all have to have licenses to work in the PL) if he is found to have had any involvement in any of the charges against City he can be penalised by the PL BUT if he leaves the club and goes elsewhere, any PL punishment against him is mute because it would only be legal within the PL. The ONLY way any punishment given out by the PL can reach those who have left the club to work elsewhere is with the co-operation of UEFA and FIFA.
So, hypothetically, if the case dragged on and Guardiola decided he wanted out and went to let's say PSG as there new manager and the PL finally dealt with the case and gave Guardiola some punishment for stuff he done from 2016 to 2018, the punishment would only be effective if he was still working in the PL because what the leagues do in their own countries is their own affair. The only way Guardiola could face punishment is if the PL asked UEFA to sanction any punishment across UEFA countries and as France is within UEFA, Guardiola would have to face the punishment handed down to him.
This is how people avoid punishment in the business world, they leave the business/company to avoid punishment because to be able to punish someone as a private citizen the business/company would have to take that former employee to court. This is why you find a lot of police officers who are under investigation for doing wrong leave because the punishment given out is only effective if the person is still employed by the police. Once they leave and become a private citizen, the employment punishment becomes ineffective.
So, hypothetically, if the case dragged on and Guardiola decided he wanted out and went to let's say PSG as there new manager and the PL finally dealt with the case and gave Guardiola some punishment for stuff he done from 2016 to 2018, the punishment would only be effective if he was still working in the PL because what the leagues do in their own countries is their own affair. The only way Guardiola could face punishment is if the PL asked UEFA to sanction any punishment across UEFA countries and as France is within UEFA, Guardiola would have to face the punishment handed down to him.
This is how people avoid punishment in the business world, they leave the business/company to avoid punishment because to be able to punish someone as a private citizen the business/company would have to take that former employee to court. This is why you find a lot of police officers who are under investigation for doing wrong leave because the punishment given out is only effective if the person is still employed by the police. Once they leave and become a private citizen, the employment punishment becomes ineffective.
While I have never been a fan of Manchester United, I must say that I was delighted to see City defeated by United in the FA Cup.
I think there were a lot of fans torn between who to support because United is still very much a hated team amongst nearly every football fan in the country.
Absolute baller.
Saints were a different team when he came into the squad. During his injury layoff, we looked out of shape and out of sorts. We're all hoping we can buy him off you (or at least get him for another year's loan). He's a little way down the pecking order for you, so it would be nice to keep him and he'd be first choice for us, without a shadow of a doubt.
He was a fantastic replacement for the many CM's we lost (not least of which was JWP).
That was me - not a fan of the Citeh machine (but you can't deny the talent and ability in the squad), but loathe United, so it was a lose-lose for me.
I loved seeing the stats about how the Championship Playoff Final had a larger crowd than the FA Cup Final.
Well I’d be happy with a loan rather than a sale.
Some would say 'clutching at straws there' because there was only a difference of approx. 1000 fans.
Was reading an article by the BBC about the Saudi Pro league with the article mentioning that the company that owns Newcastle own's 4 of the teams in the Pro league. I decided to look at the league table and was shocked to see that the company that owns 4 of the leagues team (Public Investment Fund) took 1,2,3 & 5 position in the league. That league is a joke, an pure and utter joke that one company is allowed to own 4 of the leagues teams, all of which end up finishing in the top 5!!!.
You have to understand they’ve made a decision to try and spend themselves to a point of having a comparable league to Europe. They don’t have the history or anything else all they have is money. Currently they are investing via the sovereign wealth fund or PIF to build this domestic product. The plan is most likely down the road to sell off some or all of these teams when a good domestic product has been built. To compare it to European models with a 100 year or more head start is silly.
Having 2 or 3 companies own all the teams in the league just so they can start a league is utterly ridiculous which is why the league is a joke. If Saudi Arabia wanted a Pro league then they should have made sure there was enough interest from individual owners to make sure each team had an individual owner. If that is not possible then the result is simple, you do not start a pro league. This is why all those involved in the creation of the Saudi Pro league is true to the well known saying when it comes to money 'money corrupts'. Rather than do the right thing and leave the league alone, a small group of mega wealthy owners buy all the teams and create a league. Just because they have billions of $$$ does not mean they should have started a league in the manner they have done. Sometimes things should be just left alone.
It’s not mega rich people though. PIF is the nation.
I don’t know why you’re so angry it has zero impact on you 😂
ahhh yes the usual comeback, because it has no impact on me everything they have done it completely and utterly irrelevant. Well sorry to disappoint you but as a football fan what the Saudi Pro league is doing and it's backers affects everyone. The fact you cannot see that is very disturbing.
How does it affect me? There’s tens if not hundreds of thousands of pro players on the planet. Them taking a few hundred isn’t effecting me.
Also why shouldn’t saudis have the chance to have a league? It’s not like top European leagues have acted in a benevolent manner when it comes to competition.
It seems like borderline xenophobia that Saudi nationals shouldn’t be allowed to develop a domestic league.
You are clearly trying to twist my words to support a narrative where the Saudi's are not allowed to have a football league. You and I both know that is not true but yet for some reason you are wanting to make it look that way. I wonder why?
The Saudi's have every right to have their own football league but it must be done properly and to the standards all fans have come to love and learn but yet due to the mega wealth of the country, rules do not apply to them. Please tell me which other league in the world allows one owner to own multiple teams in the same division of the league?
This article from the Guardian explains that the AFC could face legal action because it has failed to uphold it's own rules on PIF owning multiple clubs in the same league, thereby causing conflict of interest.
Asian Football Confederation may be sued for allowing multi-club ownership
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is facing a potential legal challenge after seemingly ignoring its own regulations on multi-club ownership to allow three clubs owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) to take part in the Asian Champions League
There are also other articles on the internet about multiple club ownership being a problem due to the possibility of match fixing. This is to prevent club owners of multiple teams dictating who can win the league and who can win cup competitions. So, as you can see, PIF owning 4 teams in the Pro League is a major problem, a problem that AFC has allowed even though it is against their own rules.
This is why the league is a joke because one club owner has been allowed to break the rules, a mega wealthy owner it must be noted.
Oh and if you wanted proof of the Saudi's financial pressure/influence, taken from the article:
The Saudi's are using money to get what they want and they are breaking rules to do it.
You are clearly trying to twist my words to support a narrative where the Saudi's are not allowed to have a football league. You and I both know that is not true but yet for some reason you are wanting to make it look that way. I wonder why?
The Saudi's have every right to have their own football league but it must be done properly and to the standards all fans have come to love and learn but yet due to the mega wealth of the country, rules do not apply to them. Please tell me which other league in the world allows one owner to own multiple teams in the same division of the league?
This article from the Guardian explains that the AFC could face legal action because it has failed to uphold it's own rules on PIF owning multiple clubs in the same league, thereby causing conflict of interest.
Asian Football Confederation may be sued for allowing multi-club ownership
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is facing a potential legal challenge after seemingly ignoring its own regulations on multi-club ownership to allow three clubs owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) to take part in the Asian Champions Leaguewww.theguardian.com
There are also other articles on the internet about multiple club ownership being a problem due to the possibility of match fixing. This is to prevent club owners of multiple teams dictating who can win the league and who can win cup competitions. So, as you can see, PIF owning 4 teams in the Pro League is a major problem, a problem that AFC has allowed even though it is against their own rules.
This is why the league is a joke because one club owner has been allowed to break the rules, a mega wealthy owner it must be noted.
Oh and if you wanted proof of the Saudi's financial pressure/influence, taken from the article:
The Saudi's are using money to get what they want and they are breaking rules to do it.
I’m not twisting your words at all.
The PIF is not a wealthy owner. The PIF is the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The government get to make the rules in their own country.
Now in AFC competitions I have no issue with them being kicked out but we were talking about the pro league.
I don’t disagree that the league is a joke but in a country where gambling is illegal match fixing doesn’t seem to be a huge issue.