Manchester City have been found guilty of the majority of charges in their high-stakes case against the Premier League, with the core decision published on Tuesday evening. The club lost on all major financial charges, with their sponsorship deals described as 'sham' arrangements.
On Tuesday morning, a number of City fans received the club's monthly questionnaire seeking their opinions on 'life as a City fan these days', how optimistic the future feels, and the current direction of the club off the pitch. The timing drew laughs from supporters who have felt uncertain, attacked, and helpless in a surreal situation that shows no sign of ending despite a verdict finally being in.
Chairman's letter acknowledges 'noise'
On Saturday, City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak wrote that "nothing has changed" in relation to their battle with the Premier League. The letter was an acknowledgment that, as he put it, "there is so much noise swirling around us". It marked the first new message from the club on record since they were first charged.
Many at the club had been shocked and worried when they heard the news on Friday, and still are. If City are ultimately deemed as guilty as the independent panel believe them to be, the club faces enormous punishments that could bring uncertainty for a good number of its many hundreds of employees.
Club confirms appeal
The statement that arrived from City on Tuesday evening in response to the publication of the verdict was extraordinary, again citing "irrefutable evidence" and confirming that the club will be appealing "on the basis that the opinion contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact, and is unsafe". It added: "The club will therefore be relentless, and where necessary proactive, in any and all appropriate regulatory and legal forums."
City's leadership still believes in their innocence, but the three-man panel simply - and brutally - did not believe that some of their key witnesses were being honest. A comprehensive overturning of the verdict is expected to be extremely difficult, as would questioning the integrity or impartiality of the panel. The process has hardly been flawless though, with the case arguably too complex for what the disciplinary arm of the Premier League was set up to rule over, and the verdict was leaked after a tedious delay.
Fans keep silence for now
As the club keeps its powder dry, so too have the majority of supporters that have been plunged into a new reality that threatens the legitimacy of what they have watched over the last 20 years. The memories cannot be erased, yet the achievements will be seen as tainted.
That would sting many fans, and words or actions against the people at the club responsible for the mess are still being considered. This is a fanbase who staged mass demonstrations outside Maine Road in the early 1990s to out Peter Swales as chairman, and visibly protested against season ticket rises in 2025 - the year after winning four Premier League titles in a row.
It is also a group of supporters that like to have all the facts rather than rush to judgment, so the silence should not be taken as an acceptance of anything the club have been found guilty of. More have already become more vocal after digesting the verdict, and a number of legal commentators had also refused to comment for the same reason.
Gallows humour has emerged from fans, with the 1894 group setting one of their social media posts to the audio from two years ago of President Trump's guilty verdicts being read out one by one. More of that can be expected from the away end at Anfield at the end of next week. As more supporters read the verdict, there may be some frank views in this month's questionnaire - and that will be the least of the club's many worries.
