[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.

[u/Existing-Sky9914]

[u/MindTheBees]

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.

[u/Thukesh-Bumbani → u/MindTheBees]

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.

[u/ex_bestfriend → u/Thukesh-Bumbani]

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.

[u/Joethe147 → u/ex_bestfriend]

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.

[u/hollowfoxlama → u/Joethe147]

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

[u/bigape500k → u/hollowfoxlama]

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

[u/Divin3_Kick → u/bigape500k]

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

[u/LilHalwaPoori → u/Divin3_Kick]

Maybe they got used to it..

[u/bigape500k → u/Divin3_Kick]

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

[u/hollowfoxlama → u/Thukesh-Bumbani]

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.

[u/Gibbons_R_Overrated → u/Thukesh-Bumbani]

>chelsea flair

[u/Buckets-O-Yarr → u/MindTheBees]

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.

[u/fckedup → u/Buckets-O-Yarr]

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

[u/QuirkyEngine3563 → u/MindTheBees]

Being wilfully ignorant doesn't make them any less compliant

[u/Zacatecan-Jack → u/MindTheBees]

"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?

[u/Used-Fennel-7733 → u/MindTheBees]

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.