Khaldoun Al-Mubarak, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Manchester City, sent a message of reassurance to the fans of the English club regarding the measures taken by the English Premier League regarding the club’s conviction in most of the accusations of violating the rules of financial fair play.
Since Friday, controversy has been raised about the future of Manchester City, the penalties that await the club, and perhaps stripping it of some of the championships it won in England over the past years.
Al-Mubarak said in an official statement on the club’s website: “I have been part of this club for 18 years, and I had the honor of standing with you at Etihad Stadium, at Wembley, and in Istanbul. This club means a lot to me, and you have shown and told me so much how important Manchester City is to you, and that is why I am writing to you today.”
He added: “Following the media reports issued on Friday, many of you spent your evening answering questions and responding to messages from friends, family, and colleagues, as I did as well. "Here's what I said to my family: The Premier League proceedings still have a long way to go, and our confidence and determination to prove the club's innocence is as strong as they were when this case began."
He continued: “There are many things that I would like to share with you to help you understand why we are so confident in our position, but the strict confidentiality of the legal procedures and our keenness to respect them prevent me from doing so at the present time. Even this letter has undergone several legal audits to ensure its compliance with these controls.”
He continued: “I ask you to carefully read the statement below, which is the statement we issued on Friday, as well as the statement we issued in February 2023 (also listed below); Every word in them is important and correct.”
He continued: “Although some were quick to draw their own conclusions, and with so much noise surrounding us, nothing has changed. We have faced challenges together before and emerged victorious. “There are still many who would like to undermine the momentum our club has, but we will not give them that opportunity.”
He said: “Exciting moments await us after this international break, as we will head to Anfield Stadium in two weeks, then host Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League at Etihad Stadium. These are moments that give us an opportunity to celebrate the strength of the Manchester City family.”
He added: “The Premier League procedures are still ongoing, with important aspects awaiting completion, and this process is subject to strict confidentiality. Accordingly, Manchester City’s position remains consistent with the statement issued by the club in February 2023.”
He continued: “For eight years, the club has committed itself to respecting due process very seriously, based on the assumption that the English Premier League’s Board of Directors and its executive body will act as an independent, impartial, and fair regulatory body, free from any biased influences.”
Noel Gallagher, the star of the band “Oasis” and one of the most famous Manchester City fans, confirmed that the club’s conviction in the vast majority of the 115 cases related to alleged financial violations will not change his view of the achievements achieved by the team, stressing that he lived those moments himself, and for him they cannot be erased retroactively.
According to “The Athletic”, the independent committee examining the English Premier League’s case against Manchester City, which began in February 2023, found the club guilty of most of the accusations against it, with official confirmation of the decision to be issued soon.
The accusations relate to not providing accurate and up-to-date financial information, not submitting correct financial reports regarding the salaries and bonuses of players and coaches, not adhering to UEFA regulations, including the rules of fair financial play, in addition to violations of the rules of profitability and sustainability in the English Premier League, and not cooperating with the League’s investigations.
The conviction opened the door to the possibility of harsh penalties, including the withdrawal of titles won by City during the disputed period between 2009 and 2018, and perhaps beyond, in addition to the possibility of relegation to lower levels.
Rival clubs have also begun obtaining legal advice in preparation for claiming compensation for financial losses they believe they may have suffered as a result of the violations attributed to Manchester City.
Gallagher, who has strong personal relationships with a number of the club's most prominent figures, including Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak and former coach Pep Guardiola, said in response to a question about whether City's achievements had been tarnished after the conviction: “No. I was there. “I know what I saw, and I know what I felt.”
He added: “If you are telling me that because of a sponsorship contract signed about 15 years ago, winning the league four times in a row, and Istanbul, and all those things no longer mean anything, and that the club should be burned and its fans exiled to North Korea, then you are acting hysterically.”
Guardiola had repeatedly defended Manchester City against accusations of financial irregularities, including the case that initially led to the club being banned from participating in the Champions League in 2020, before the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned the penalty.
The Spanish coach left Manchester City last summer after winning 20 championships in ten years at Etihad Stadium, while his first two seasons with the team fall within the period covered by the English Premier League’s accusations.
Gallagher refused to consider Guardiola's legacy as having been damaged as a result of the results of the investigation, and he also expressed a defiant stance towards the possibility of Manchester City's relegation from the Premier League.
“Let it happen,” he said. I have fallen with this club to lower levels than you can imagine. If this club has to play a thousand games behind closed doors in Uganda, I will be there. "The guys who followed us to the third division will feel the same way."
He added: “We do not support Manchester City because of Abu Dhabi, Pep Guardiola, Erling Haaland, or Sergio Aguero. “We support Manchester City because it is part of our identity.”
Gallagher admitted that he felt “sadness” upon learning of the news, and asked the club’s management to communicate frankly and clearly with the fans following the official announcement of the decision, saying that he wanted to talk “from the heart, not in legal language.”
At the same time, he denied his feeling that the club management had let the fans down, adding: “We must not forget that the matter is not over. “There will be difficult weeks and months, but what they have given to the fans and to the city in general far exceeds what we are going through now.”
He continued: “The club did what it thought it had to do, and it still insists that it did not commit any mistake. I will take Khaldoun's word before any YouTube clown or biased former player turned analyst. Until Khaldoun speaks, I will stand with the club, and then we will see.”
Gallagher expects to be the target of a lot of backlash due to his global fame and his constant appearances at Manchester City matches, and he revealed that he was actually subjected to comments in the street hours after news of the conviction spread.
“Only 24 hours have passed, and people have already started screaming at me in the street,” he said.
He concluded his speech by stressing that the rest of the season will be turbulent, adding: “So what? This is football. If the situation were reversed, we would do to them the same thing they are doing to us now. No problem".
