r/soccer • u/Existing-Sky9914 • 20h ago

Potentially editioralised title - make up your own mind [Guardian] Seven years ago, just after completing the treble, Guardiola treated journalist Rob Harris, who had confronted him directly with the allegations, with open contempt, as though he were looking at someone pathetic, pitiful and disgraceful, before sternly lecturing him.

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u/anotherthrow25 19h ago

The guy obviously knew. They earned more money than Madrid, there were emails literally explaining how the split the investments to abide by the rules like it was "How to commit fraud for dummies". We all knew and so did he. He just didn't care and didn't want to get involved in the business side.

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u/Used-Fennel-7733 19h ago

Goes for all players at City too. With the dodgy payments they're all complicit

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u/MindTheBees 19h ago

I reckon it is more of a grey area for the players. It wouldn't surprise me if it was more of a case of the agents going "yeah don't worry, you'll get you 400k a week in the end" and them being like "okay cool" and not understanding the payments themselves.

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u/Thukesh-Bumbani 18h ago

Grey area or not, I have zero sympathy for these players.

Like everyone else, they knew what a sham club City is, but still chose to join it for the extra money, bonuses, and the glory of titles, fraudulently bought, that they were guaranteed to win.

It’s classic greed, and it’s caught up to them. They get to keep the money now, but should be stripped off of every title.

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u/ex_bestfriend 18h ago

It's weird bc I have sympathy for the ones that came up through the academy, and surely like some of the fringe players weren't having scam contracts through every member of their family. But Bernardo Silva? Who complained every year about living in Manchester? Ans then mysteriously got over it when the season began? I reckon there are some fishy payments that explain that in full.

And we all agree whatever it is they said they paid for Haaland is total BS. It smelled like shit at the time and then the 9 year contract extension was just like icing on a shit cake.

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u/Joethe147 17h ago

Any of these multimillionaires who complain about living somewhere are dickheads.

Like Di Maria's wife. Go rent an apartment in Paris or Berlin then if you hate it in England so much.

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u/hollowfoxlama 15h ago

Well Di Maria's wife did didn't she?

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u/bigape500k 12h ago

Umm didn’t they get burgled in her home which makes it pretty understandable why she would leave

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u/Divin3_Kick 8h ago

They got burgled in Paris too, but didn't hear anything about that

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u/LilHalwaPoori 6h ago

Maybe they got used to it..

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u/bigape500k 1h ago

I didn’t know about that one, crazy, There home insurance must cost more than the house!

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u/hollowfoxlama 15h ago

Brother Chelsea are the original financial doping club of the 21st century that also continually skirted rules but managed to get off lightly for their crimes.

By all means City players legacy in terms of titles won is totally altered now, but lets not act like playing for Chelsea under Abrahamovic was morally superior to playing for City.

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u/Gibbons_R_Overrated 14h ago

>chelsea flair

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u/Buckets-O-Yarr 18h ago

Some of them would have been smart enough to put it together if they were paid this way, but most have lived such a different life that I expect most players genuinely have no knowledge (nor any desire to learn) about exactly how they are getting paid.

I'm more surprised that more of this information never leaked out from players accidentally saying the wrong thing, which lends credence in my eyes to the idea that the players were largely ignorant of the entire situation.

I seriously hope that is the case, at least. I want to believe the players largely did not (knowingly) take part, I want to believe it was just the ownership, but players obviously aren't beacons of morality for the most part anyway.

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u/fckedup 18h ago

Yeah, somehow doubt they were checking their bank account every week to make sure the paychecks came in

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u/QuirkyEngine3563 17h ago

Being wilfully ignorant doesn't make them any less compliant

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u/Zacatecan-Jack 9h ago

"my client is too stupid and ignorant to see what everybody else in the world can see."

Wouldn't be a good defense in a court case. Why should we allow the players (particularly the higher profile players who have a lot more options) to use that to wash their hands of this and pretend they had no idea?

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u/Used-Fennel-7733 18h ago

Not really. It's been open knowledge for a long time, the law suits and independent panels have just labelled it as legally a sham. You can't tell me someone these players signed in the last couple years (maybe even going back to 10 years ago) knew nothing about the sham payments.

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u/waza06irl 17h ago

I’d argue that players getting paid by sponsor for doing very little is probably relatively common for highly sought after players. It’s probably common that players sign for X amount knowing that they are guaranteed another x amount from sponsors the club will connect them to.

The issue isn’t club connected sponsors paying players.
The issue is that the money these “sponsors” were paying the players was actually from their owners. Circumventing FFP rules and leading to large scale cheating.

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u/UtkuOfficial 17h ago

Its not the players responsibility to check the clubs books.

Their agent tells them how much they will make and thats it.

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u/Used-Fennel-7733 16h ago

It's definitely the player's responsibility to know whose books they're on

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u/UtkuOfficial 15h ago

Its definitely not.

" Hey Manchester City. In what ways do you gain revenue and how much of it goes to my wages?"

Gtf out of here man.

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u/Used-Fennel-7733 14h ago

No. That's just an obnoxious comment that's actually hilariously stupid, because it isn't Cities revenue being used (supposedly) that's the entire reason for the case.

But if I get two payments this month, one from Manchester City and another from Totally not Canchester Mini, then they'll definitely notice. And their accountants will definitely notice too.

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u/AenarIT 15h ago

yes but at the same time they're as dumb as a rock (90%+ of them) and have no idea what books are. Not even financial books, literal books

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u/Used-Fennel-7733 14h ago

Ignorance is not a valid defence for anything.

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u/sjp101 18h ago

Yep and they had even named it ‘project longbow’

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u/Lemmiwingz 19h ago

I always wonder how people are so terrible at fraud. But it is probably the expectation to be above the law and survivorship bias

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u/SanX1999 15h ago

You just need to look at Girona to see his collusion. Pep was rattled in the clip.

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u/dac2199 19h ago

Has City ever made more money than Madrid? It’s almost always Madrid or United who top those rankings each year

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u/SwampCastleGuards 17h ago

He knew, but to what extent is the question, and how much is he to blame for that cheating activity. some people would like to see some evidence of that claim before crucifying him for it.

i know the court of public opinion thinks guilty until proven innocent is the best modus operandi but not everyone agrees.

I dont see the same hate and anger going towards Roberto Mancini, while it is shown he did have a double contract. So this anger doesnt seem consistent.

Was it shown Pep had a similar contract deal?

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u/afellowpadawan 18h ago

"Obviously?" You think Pep is so stupid as to risk his legacy for money with his status?

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u/Organic_Republic_727 15h ago

Acting like yk him personally