Man City cheating scandal: Rettig calls for “revocation of license and revocation of all titles”

DFB managing director Andreas Rettig has called for a maximum punishment in the case of the cheating scandal involving English soccer champions Manchester City. »Honestly: it couldn't be worse. For me, this is not a catastrophe, but a super-GAB - the biggest case of fraud that can be assumed. I would like UEFA to extend its claws and apply the highest possible punishment. In concrete terms, that means: license revocation and revocation of all titles," said Rettig, who is leaving his position at the German Football Association at the end of the year, in the "Kicker" interview.

The allegations against Manchester City involve a total of 115 possible offenses from the period between 2009 and 2018, during which the club is said to have, among other things, provided false information about its finances and artificially inflated sponsorship income. Superstar Erling Haaland's club was found guilty in 114 cases. A high point deduction, which means relegation to the Championship, is currently the expected punishment. The club has lodged an objection.

Strong argument for the German 50+1 rule

At the same time, Rettig emphasized the importance of the 50+1 rule applied in Germany. »It makes sense to take this bow. Man City have trampled on the spirit of only spending money generated by attributable revenue. At the same time, it is only the most visible tip of the iceberg. The 50+1 cultural asset stands against such excesses,” said Rettig.

The rule prevents external investors or corporations from taking sole decision-making power over a football club. In England, the clubs are organized like classic commercial companies that can be completely bought and controlled. The decision-making power almost always lies 100 percent with the private owners, often billionaires (mainly from abroad), US financial investors or foreign sovereign wealth funds, such as Manchester City, among others.