City case could be Super cue
ANY move to relegate Manchester City following alleged breaches of Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations could push the champions closer to joining any future breakaway super league.
That warning comes after a week that saw the European Super League once again rear its head.
Dan Plumley, senior lecturer in sports finances at Sheffield Hallam University, believes that a number of scenarios are in play now.
And he argues that the introduction of an independent regulator to govern the game is still no guarantee that an English club won’t one day join any breakaway league.
“It has been a seismic week,” Plumley said. “If you focus on the leaks from the upcoming government white paper on football, it suggests that any competition English clubs play in would have to be sanctioned by the regulator.
“But it doesn’t mean the regulator can’t sanction new competitions.
“And we’re also a long way away from having an independent regulator that can enact that anyway.
“I don’t think anything we’ve had this week makes it impossible for English clubs to be a part of a European Super League.
“I think the timing of everything this week is really interesting – it has been one hit after the other. There have been a lot of scenarios in play.
“Each party stands to lose, and this is quite a tricky position for the Premier League.
“On the one hand they want to be seen to be able to regulate their own – so going after Manchester City is making a huge statement.
“But also, they’ve got their own product to protect, of which Manchester City are a huge part. There is a scenario where both parties could lose.
“The European Super League throws another curve ball into that mix.”