Gus Poyet urges Man City‑Premier League TV showdown over FFP verdict

Former Premier League manager Gus Poyet says there are far too many coincidences surrounding Manchester City’s recent financial‑fair‑play guilty verdict and is pressing for a televised debate between the league and the club to resolve the issue.

Commission finds massive breaches

Earlier this week an independent commission confirmed that the Etihad outfit was guilty of all but one of the 115 charges brought against it. The findings cover alleged sham sponsorship deals, misstated accounts and breaches of spending limits that, between 2009 and 2018, artificially inflated revenues and reduced costs by more than £900 million.

The report details how Manchester City allegedly used fabricated sponsorship arrangements to boost its financial statements. By misreporting figures, the club is said to have breached the FFP regulations designed to prevent clubs from spending beyond their means.

During the same period the club collected three Premier League titles, the FA Cup and three League Cups, including the 2014 League Cup final victory over Sunderland, the side Poyet managed at the time.

Poyet calls for televised debate

City have lodged an official appeal and continue to maintain their innocence, yet Poyet insists the guilty verdict leaves a sour taste. He argues that a televised discussion with representatives from the Premier League and Manchester City would clarify the murky financial practices.

“A big surprise for me is that they were found guilty of all the charges,” Poyet told Metro. “It’s terrible for football, especially for the Premier League and the FA in terms of control.”

He added that the timing of the verdict is “terrible”, noting that Pep Guardiola was questioned a hundred times about the case and the final decision arrives after his departure. “Is it a coincidence? I doubt it,” Poyet said via Ozoon.

Poyet concluded that fans need a clear explanation of whether a club can sponsor its own team and how such arrangements affect the sport. “Until we clarify those things for fans, we will not have a full opinion on the matter,” he warned.