Although I doubt it is 100% legit, it is probably a lot closer than many people think. Problem is that they have been allowed to operate for so many years with more than questionable financials, that they’ve now built the club into something more sustainable.
Yea, for anyone who’s watched the wire, this is like Stringer wanting to become the bank. Meaning using illegitimate funds and money to start up legitimate businesses and then not needing the criminal enterprises anymore.
It’s really why so much of this is too late. City is a treble winning European powerhouse that’s dominated the most financially successful domestic league in the world. Even if you cut off all of the funding now, yes they would probably be less successful but still far more so than most teams.
I also just doubt what long-term impact to their credibility would occur even if they were sanctioned to the highest degree possible. I just think people would look at the reputations of the players of the past 10 years and in 10 years from now view that as positive as opposed to the blemish of whatever sanctions occurred. You would well and truly have to bury them: Strip titles, huge financial sanctions, relegation, etc and we all know that’s not going to happen
