Manchester City players may follow Zlatan’s Juventus exit as agents plot exits

RIATH AL‑SAMARRAI there is little comfort for Manchester City supporters in Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s autobiography, yet the book offers a warning: players and agents could already be plotting exits if the club faces a Juventus‑style scandal. The chapter describing Juventus in July 2006, when the club learned it would be relegated to Serie B and stripped of two league titles, is cited as a cautionary tale for City.

Calciopoli’s echo in Manchester

In the memoir, Ibrahimovic recounts the confusion, denial and panic that swept the Juventus dressing room after the Calciopoli verdict. He describes how the “asteroid of an almighty scandal” crashed into the club, forcing star names to decide whether to stay or leave. The narrative highlights that the players were not guilty of the underlying corruption, but they were central to the drama that followed.

At the time, Juventus manager Fabio Capello fled ten days before the final verdict, while midfielder Pavel Nedved remained. Ibrahimovic, then 25, left for Inter Milan a month after the decision and later won three Serie A titles. He contrasts this with the few who stayed, naming Gianluigi Buffon, Alessandro Del Piero, Giorgio Chiellini and David Trezeguet as the loyal few.

Potential fallout for City

The article suggests that if Manchester City’s alleged misconduct is upheld after appeals, the Premier League could impose a points deduction severe enough to threaten relegation. Unlike many contracts, City’s players reportedly lack relegation clauses, meaning agents could push for sales rather than bargain‑price deals.

Without such clauses, the club would struggle to afford top wages on Championship revenues, raising doubts about who could realistically stay. Ibrahimovic’s quote about calling his agent “Mino Raiola” to “just get me out of here” underscores the urgency players might feel in a similar crisis.

Buffon’s loyalty to Juventus after the scandal is highlighted as a benchmark. The piece asks which City stars might emulate Del Piero or Buffon by remaining loyal despite adversity.

There is no indication that any specific City player has already spoken to an agent, but the parallels drawn from the Juventus episode serve as a stark reminder of how quickly fortunes can change in football.