'Man City has gaslit its own fans by recklessly claiming innocence over 115 charges - I demand an explanation'

· Mirror

OPINION: The Mirror's Matt Atherton - a Manchester City fan all his life - reveals why he feels betrayed by the club's hierarchy over the Premier League's 115 charges, and why he wants an explanation

> "We can all be very calm because not one rule has been broken by Man City."

That's what we were told - or at least that's what the Manchester City top dogs told the players when the 115 charges were announced.

Now, we all look like mugs. Especially those of us that were naive enough to believe them.

For years the loyal City fanbase has heard every possible grumbling from the suits at the Etihad - essentially, this was a witch hunt. 'We're just too good, so they're trying to get us for it'.

Well, congratulations City, you've gaslit your entire fanbase, and the stain of this will live a lot longer than the 48-hour reckless foray into the European Super League.

We've been here before. City fans were not new to it. Two years before the 115 charges were levelled at City by the Premier League, the club successfully overturned a two-year UEFA ban from the Champions League.

It took just five months for the Court of Arbitration for Sport to overturn that ban. Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said the UEFA investigation was a frustrating distraction, but it proved City had done nothing wrong.

It's true. The club had been proved right, and its constant insistence of innocence was vindicated.

So, fast forward two years, and why shouldn't the fans believe them again? After all, the Premier League's 115 charges were based on the exact same leaked dossier that UEFA had used in its own probe.

The formula was identical; charges brought, City plead innocence. Except this time, the fans had the precedent to believe them.

Football is incredibly tribal in this country. It's natural that fans back their own club - and equally natural for rival fans to assume guilt.

These 115 charges have been lingering over us fans for three-and-a-half years now. You'd struggle to find a single match in that time when rival fans didn't level the obvious 'we know what you are, we know what you are, you cheating bs, we know what you are' chant at us.

So tedious. It's instantly responded by cheers and ironic celebrations from City fans. It was boring. So boring.

We had to contend with B-rate ex-professionals and boozed up fans calling into phone-in radio shows saying that City will inevitably be relegated out of the Football League at some point soon. Clearly this was nonsense. None of these people had any idea what they were talking about, because the case was heard behind closed doors.

Any sanction could only really result in a points deduction. Even in the worst case scenario for City, it would mean a single relegation to the Championship; this was a case brought by the Premier League specifically, not the FA or the EFL.

But that didn't stop the commentary by rival fans. Guilty. They didn't know a thing... but guilty.

A peak behind the curtain of Man City fans' social media, and we were cautiously optimistic. There's never smoke without fire, but everything we heard from the City camp was a confidence-booster.

Even immediately after the charges were brought in February 2023, the club said it was "surprised", "particularly given the extensive engagement and vast amount of detailed materials that the EPL has been provided with".

There's a vast amount of evidence for our case? Happy days. It even said there was a "comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence" that supports innocence. It doesn't get more confident than that.

Then there was behind-the-scenes chats with the players - who, let's be honest, have the most to lose from relegation.

Immediately after the charges were announced, CEO Ferran Soriano and then-sporting director Txiki Begiristain told the entire squad and backroom staff that there was nothing to worry about, according to former defender Aymeric Laporte.

> He said: "When I was there and the news broke, the sporting director (Txiki Begiristain) and the CEO (Ferran Soriano) came and told all the players and staff that we can all be very calm because not one rule has been broken by Man City.

> "They told us everything was fine so that’s why we all think City will be fine. I don’t think there will be any issues."

Then there was the chairman himself, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, who also comes out of this mess looking bad. He's consistently said he can't speak much about the case, but that he'll "say everything I've wanted to say" after the charges were settled.

So here we are, and we're ready to listen... because this is going to take some explaining.

But, despite the bitter taste this sorry charade has left in the mouth, it won't overshadow some of our most-memorable moments. Even if we're playing in the second tier of English football next season, nothing will take away Sergio Aguero's 90+4 finish to seal City's first Premier League title. Neither Ilkay Gundogan's brace to snatch the title away from Liverpool in the dying moments, nor Rodri smashing it home in Istanbul to win the club's first Champions League title. Those memories will be there forever, regardless, and the sorry fans from the days of 'typical City' will be eternally grateful.

But, the club has some serious explaining to do.

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