"They're dead!" - Man City slammed in epic rant | Football Weekly
Philippe Auclair puts Manchester City bang to rights with an incredible 10 minute monologue on Thursday's episode of Football Weekly, alongside Max Rushden, Barry Glendenning and Ali Maxwell. Watch the full podcast episode ► https://youtu.be/y0kC40zDlCM Subscribe to Guardian Football ► https://www.youtube.com/@guardianfootball?subconfirmation=1 We want your feedback! If you had any thoughts on our coverage of the World Cup, please let us know here ► www.theguardian.com/YTWorldCupSurvey The Guardian publishes independent journalism, made possible by supporters. Contribute to The Guardian today ► https://support.theguardian.com/ Guardian Football Weekly: https://www.tiktok.com/@guardianfootballweekly https://www.instagram.com/guardianfootballweekly/ Website ► https://www.theguardian.com Facebook ► https://www.facebook.com/theguardian Bluesky ► https://bsky.app/profile/sport.theguardian.com Instagram ► https://www.instagram.com/guardiansport/ The Guardian on YouTube: The Guardian ► https://www.youtube.com/@theGuardian Football Weekly podcast ► https://www.youtube.com/@FootballWeeklyPodcast Guardian News ► https://www.youtube.com/@guardiannews Guardian Australia ► https://www.youtube.com/@GuardianAustralia Guardian Sport ► https://www.youtube.com/@guardiansport
Transcript
It's an enormous story, there is so much to report each day, but we begin with you Philip, the floor is yours. >> Uh well [laughter] Damn it. What can I say? Uh I don't know. I'm I I I'm still in the state of disbelief really and and I think the first thing I will do is to provide apology. And um and the apology will go to the Premier League and to the panel of judges. I think that plenty of us were starting to wonder if the whole thing was just an exercise in drowning the fish as we say in France. Um so to make sure that the grass that this particular football was going to be kicked in was going to be very very very long indeed and actually there would never be a mower to take care of it. And in fact, I think we were wrong. When you read the uh 40-page document, unfortunately the appendices are which is really where the the action happens, have not been made public and I doubt they ever will. Um but you realize that the transcript of the witnesses uh was 7,000 pages long uh and that there were actually millions of documents that they had to go through. Uh talking about the witnesses by the way, if I can just um deliver a little early tackle. Paragraph 29. >> Please. >> Paragraph 29. I love that one. We concluded that the majority of witnesses of fact who gave evidence before us were doing their best and so on and so on. However, we concluded that evidence given by a number of important factual witnesses called to give evidence on behalf of the club was false in a number of key respects and I love that chaser, B, that certain of those factual witnesses had given evidence at the hearing that they knew to be untrue. And so had been dishonest. And uh it's not just all about the money, even if that's a lot of money. 900 million quid is is rather a lot of money. It's basically when you add the value of Silva, Aguero, De Bruyne, Touré, basically that's the money they bought uh those star players with. But it goes beyond that because it has to do with the dishonesty as well, the lying, and what would be considered in a civil court a case of perjury, basically. And the enormity of the charges and the tone the damning tone of this report, which it has to be you know, you have to remember who wrote it. It's not the Premier League that wrote it. It's a panel of independent judges who are chosen um by uh a barrister whose identity is unknown to anyone, apart from themselves, I would imagine. But Richard Masters don't know who these people are. Has absolutely no idea about it. He can vouch that. And um they are people who are judges or barristers who have at least 10 years experience. So their opinion is not exactly um biased, which is why the reaction in that amazing video clip of Ferran Soriano. Have you noticed it? He just doesn't blink once in 3 minutes 32 seconds. >> Oh, yeah. >> It's uh unbelievable. And and he talks about the position of the judges. No, my friend, it's a verdict. You're guilty. You're guilty as hell. You can appeal, and good luck with that because the evidence must be pretty strong. It is pretty strong. And uh so now we are entering the uh posturing, but I think that the the report is so strong and the terms chosen so uh so strong, too, and the and the response of the football world, including, by the way, some Manchester City fans. I don't know if you've been in touch with a few of them, but I I have, who are who have said that they were ashamed, basically. Um obviously, I'm not in touch with the Gallagher brothers. Um and thank goodness for that. Um but they are in an untenable situation, and whatever happens, their name is forever tainted. Whatever happens, they will be given an asterisk uh for those titles won between uh 2009 and 2018, which is, you know, three Premier League titles, one FA Cup, three League Cups. That's a lot. And um so they're they're dead. And that's it. That's the That's the terrible thing is that City not only have betrayed football and have killed competi- the competition when they were doing that, but they've [snorts] also killed their own club. Because it means nothing. Anything Everything they've achieved means absolutely nothing. It's what Roy Keane was saying, chuck your medals in the bins, you know, guys. Do it. That's it. The last Manchester City team to have won the championship, you've got to go back to friendly and those guys. And uh and that's it. So, it's a tragedy, and it's at the same time a tragedy which is a huge moment of release, I think, for all of football. We can put this not behind us, but we can uh we can look at it and not think that we're going to be taken on for a ride any longer. And uh I totally disagree with the idea that this actually taints the Premier League as a whole. I entirely disagree with that. The Premier League, whatever its faults, and there are many, had the courage to do this and to see the process through, and I'm not sure that's something which would have happened in other leagues. It certainly hasn't happened in France, where you'd like this kind of forensic examination going on. And it's never happened uh in Spain where a couple of clubs, shall we say, could do with this kind of forensic analysis as well. And it's never been the case and never will be. So, in the long term, I think people are looking at England thinking, "Well, it's pretty brave of you guys to actually attack, you know, and go for the jugular and punish. And um I think we can now all uh Is there such a word as delectate? I I think there is. Um taking the ala carte of punishment and just go, [clears throat] "I'll have the tasting menu, all 18 courses of them, please." And start with something small like like a like a 115 million pounds fine. Uh that would be the first item on the on the menu. And then it ends up with, of course, uh the expulsion from the league. Uh And I want it all, basically. I think we can afford ourselves a little tap on the back, but also uh look back at the way that uh we journalists who have been trying to shed some light on Manchester City have been fighting against uh threats throughout coming um from fans who had been weaponized by the hierarchy of the club. Some of us, one of us um is is is home was actually attacked by some of those thugs. Journalists couldn't walk unattended from uh the City of Manchester Stadium after the games fearing because they would feel on their on their own because they would fear being taken to task by some excited fans who believed that they were all employed, that they had an agenda and wanted to destroy their club, which is obviously absolutely false. So, we should remember that as well. And now we can look forward to what's going to happen this season. I don't know what, you know, what you think, but that game I at Anfield is going to be a bit special, I think. But, it's about what happens afterwards because what we will see at Anfield will probably happen absolutely everywhere else. And it's going to be a long, long season for for Manchester City and for its players, whatever those players may think at the moment. And I should stop here because every single sentence leads to another sentence, leads to another sentence because this is just the biggest cataclysm, catastrophe to have ever hit English football, ever. We could carry on. This is not a the long run. The long run starts in the dressing room, man. And and I'm and I'm and I'm rushing and and there are others who are waiting as well for their turn, you know. And and and and there's also the other elephant in the room, which is that we're talking about the guilt and what they've done. We should never forget who's done it and what this club represents. Because this club is actually the emanation of a political power, a political power which is basically we would call that authoritarian regime in the Gulf and who is actually supporting at the moment armed forces in what is one of the most brutal conflicts we've had in Africa since Rwanda, which is in Sudan. And their involvement is evidenced. And we shouldn't forget that this is also the other picture of that club. It's got nothing to do with the fans, nothing to do with the people who own it and have devised this strategy of cheating, which miraculously stopped in 2018 and and nothing has been going on ever since, obviously. Silence. And and back to the studio. And that's all we have time for today. I Thanks, Sally. Thank you, Barry. Thank you, Philippe. I mean it is so you did credit the journalist. As far as I learned yesterday, it was only Richard Keys who had been talking about Manchester [laughter] City for the last 8 years. There have been no other journalists on this. Um Pep Guardiola yesterday came out and said, "I want every single Manchester City fan across the world to know I am here. More than ever I am, always have been, always will be behind my club, my owner, my chairman, Ferran, the players, staff, Enzo, and you are unique supporters." Also Pep in 2022, "I said to them, 'If you lie to me, the day after I'm not here, I will be out and I will not be your friend anymore.'" Which is it, Barry? >> I mean, he's technically out, but his legacy is forever intertwined with plus what has happened to City. So, he's also very much in. And over the last couple of days, that clip of him being asked about if he was receiving off-book payments from City when Rob Harris, who now works for Sky, Rob's nickname in the trade for anyone who doesn't know was trouble cuz he's very much not afraid to ask the difficult questions. And after the FA Cup final when Manchester City humiliated Watford, he asked Pep, you know, was he receiving off-book payments? In the same way as Roberto Mancini had. And it was very much Pep was clearly furious. He didn't deny that he was receiving off-book payments. He just sort of stressed, "No, now is not the time. You know, we've just won the FA Cup. This is not when you should be asking me this question." And quite a few journalists in the room agreed with Pep that now was not the time uh, it clearly was the time. But, um, so his legacy is inextricably linked to City. So, I guess he has to, uh, say that he's he's with the fans, he's with the club, um, because he doesn't really have any other choice. He risks ruining his legacy. I I I have noticed like an awful lot of former City players, uh, Joe Hart, Richard Dunne, Micah Richards, Micah not so much as the other two, but those three in particular are are ones that spring to mind, are all defending the club. I wait and see a current player being asked about it. I The person whose opinion I would love to hear is Kevin De Bruyne's because I suspect he might have plenty to say about this, and it may not be entirely supportive of his former club. But, I'm just guessing here. But, he's a man who's quite happy to speak his mind, and he has no ties to the club anymore. And he he could be one of the players who might actually go, "You know what? Open the bin there. I'm throwing some medals into it." >> Micah Richards said did say, "I saw the words which used by the Premier League in sham contracts. I felt devastated. I've been at the club since I was 14 years old. I would I would die for that club. I achieved my dream at Man City. But, then to hear these reports, and not only me as an ex-player, but the fans, what they had to go through is absolutely devastating. So, Micah is the only player I've heard so far. And I agree with you on De Bruyne. I'm fascinated. I mean, we might be wrong, but you know, he might say what what lots of others say. But, I agree with you on that. >> So happens that a friend of mine is going to talk to Kevin De Bruyne, uh, for the next Belgium game. So, I'm going to pass the message on from The Guardian Football Weekly would like a question asked to Kevin De Bruyne, please. >> It would be quite funny if you spoke to Kevin De Bruyne and didn't mention it. It'd be like interviewing Neil Armstrong and not bringing up the moon. >> Yeah, you're [laughter] right. There is a great Patrick Kielty tells it we don't have time for this, but tells a great story about how he was on a corporate with Buzz Aldrin and decided to be the first person to never mention the moon. At one point they're both shown into the same hotel room because one isn't ready and the guy opens in Ireland somewhere and the guy opens the curtains and it's quite a nice view and he says, "Have you ever seen anything like it?" And he's thinking, "Buzz Aldrin's seen the Earth from space, mate." >> [laughter] >> You're probably the wrong person to say it to. Ali, welcome to the podcast. Um I I I don't, you know, I and everyone is allowed to have so many questions and so many thoughts. I don't know where you're and it can go in any direction from, you know, from nation state to Fabian Delph for what, you know, or mad people ringing phone in. >> For me, someone who's who's kind of main focus and interest is on the EFL, the Championship, League One and League Two, and I suppose the England national team, um to be to be on brand, I guess, but also true to myself cuz I'm not someone that will wade through hundreds and hundreds of pages of documents and I I I so admire those, um like yourself, Philippe, and and others who who are able to to do this and who've been able to keep the pressure on till they can get to this point. I suppose I'm someone that on matters like this is is more keen to ask questions than throw out my opinion because I don't think it's worth a huge amount. I guess I'm just interested to know what happens next and then because I imagine quite a lot of stuff will happen next over probably quite a a long period of time still. Ultimately, I want to know what where will Manchester City be playing football? Will Manchester City Football Club be playing football if they are really, really nailed to the wall? What does that actually mean? As Philippe said, this does feel like the the the biggest thing that's ever happened in in English football, certainly in my lifetime. And it might and it probably will impact the the leagues that I love the most, uh the EFL. So, you know, even within that, I've been trying to look through regulations, uh EFL regulations, to see what might happen in in sort of instance, which is is unprecedented um and working out whether they might land in the Championship and if so, you know, how do they tweak promotion and relegation places? They might land in League Two, in which case maybe they just review uh reduce the relegation spots from League Two to the National League to one. But all this is assuming that that they are forcibly demoted, but is that the case if they are expelled that they will land in the EFL or is it the Northwest Counties? I I honestly don't know and and that's a question really. >> Well, in fact, you you sort of answered my my question Ali because there is there is nothing that would um compel the EFL to accept Manchester City in its midst should they be relegated. If they're relegated because of a points deduction, which is so huge that they go down, okay, that's one thing. If on the others on the other side, they are actually expelled, the Premier League is is a private limited company. And I know there's a pyramid and there are is the FA Premier League and there is a system in place. But couldn't the league say, well, on one hand, I guess they would be delighted to have a huge club like Manchester City to be playing in um you know, in the lower divisions, so with which lower division that would be, we don't know. But couldn't they say, well, actually no because the current owners do not fit are not fit and proper proper according to our regulations. We don't have this club. It has to be new ownership or something like that. Couldn't they just say, no? And that's my question. Can Can they [clears throat] say, no? Actually, Ali. >> I sort of assume so. Um I maybe cynically and you you're right to bring up the the um owners' test and of course any club has to pass that or any club's owners. Cynically, I do think that there'd be a world in which the EFL would be delighted to house Manchester City, the biggest story in town for a couple of years just because of exposure. It's a It's a league that will always be the the little brother to the Premier League and and it still, even with that, wants to be as big as it can be. It wants to be as recognized as it can be globally, setting the Premier League to one side. And the Championship is is doing a pretty good job on that front when you consider that it is a second tier division. But so well attended, it's it's well watched. It seems to be doing quite a good job making a bit of a dent in in America, which is something I wasn't sure was actually realistic. But by all accounts it's doing quite well out there since it's been heavily televised. So, yeah, I think there'll be plenty of benefits, to be honest, for for the EFL, its member clubs, its uh stakeholders, if you like, its sponsors, and indeed its podcasters, if Manchester City were in in the the League Two or Championship for a couple of years. >> Andy Burnham said he would be really concerned if Manchester City's owners decided to sell up. They've been such a huge partner in the building of modern Manchester and obviously the building of Manchester City into the global force that it is. I remember people proclaiming everything guilty at the time and with hindsight I think more people would say that wasn't fair. The way that was handled, it would be wrong of me to leap to one side given the experience that I had before becoming Prime Minister. And Etihad Airways, Man City's principal sponsor, said it's considering taking legal action against the Premier League. They've sponsored City since '09, said in a statement it categorically rejects any finding, conclusion, or implication that suggests the airline has ever been involved in improper commercial arrangements. I mean, they those two just kind of fit together, Felipe, in in the just how high this goes and the relationship between Burnham, because he's from Manchester, and now he's the Prime Minister, and the UAE and the British government. And what I mean, on a political level, what a nightmare for Andy Burnham. You know, he's doing these speeches, everyone likes him, and now he's in a He is in a real He is between a rock and a hard place now. >> Yeah, I thank you very much, guys, basically. Another government obviously shouldn't intervene at all in what is a a private matter. and which would might become by the way a matter for HMRC as well and maybe the British police and [snorts] because when you cook the books and you do it willfully obviously the people who do this kind of thing or accomplish it and it are are breaking the law and pretty pretty serious fashion. Anyway. Yes, it's it's it's a bit of a nightmare for him because I mean the government has intervened in the past. Remember what happened with Johnson applied gentle pressure at the time the Saudis wanted to buy Newcastle and there were there were these meetings which happened didn't happen at 10 Downing Street at the time just before the decisions were taken. So this is about the only thing they can do is apply gentle apply pressure of of one kind. >> The question is Philip what happens if they win the appeal? >> On which grounds? The technical grounds? Or something? >> I I've absolutely no I I've no idea. I've no idea. >> If they were to win the appeal then in this case they would go unpunished. Though I I cannot for one second believe that they would go completely unpunished because even with the simple fact of not collaborating with the Premier League which is a an aggravating consequence circumstance is something which is proven beyond doubt and the evidence is so strong. We know what the evidence is because we saw some of this evidence at the time of the football leaks. These are authentic documents. And and so yeah anything is possible in this world. What will not change in any case