Manchester City must face financial questions instead of claiming victim status

Manchester City’s continued celebration of their success while serious financial findings against them remain unresolved has exposed a damaging absence of accountability, argues this commentary.

The club’s 3-0 victory over Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday was an impressive display, but it took place under the shadow of an independent commission’s findings. City were found guilty of serious breaches of the English Premier League’s financial rules over nine seasons, as well as most of the charges relating to their failure to co-operate with the league’s investigation.

City have appealed the findings, and that process must be completed. However, their legal challenge does not remove the questions surrounding their conduct or explain why they have adopted such a confident, business-as-usual posture.

Their performance at a hostile Anfield was ruthless, to the frustration of the home supporters. Yet the victory celebrations that followed seemed to add insult to the Kop, leaving the occasion feeling hollow.

City appear to have cast themselves as victims of the situation, despite the findings concerning their own alleged improprieties. It is a striking example of what amounts to state-sponsored cheating, while the club’s apparent desire for a redemption narrative feels distinctly tone-deaf.

The comparison with Robert Downey Jr offers a useful contrast. In the late 1990s, the actor had become so troubled by substance addiction and legal problems that Hollywood studios were unwilling to work with him.

After repeated arrests for possessing heroin, cocaine and crack, Downey spent the period from 1996 to 2003 moving between jail and court-ordered rehabilitation. In court, he once described his addiction by saying: “It’s like I’ve got a shotgun in my mouth with my finger on the trigger, and I like the taste of the gun metal.”

With the support of his now-wife, Susan Levin, Downey entered treatment and has been sober since 2003. His return was completed when he was cast as Tony Stark in 2008’s Iron Man, after which his films went on to gross billions worldwide.

Downey’s transformation from Hollywood outcast to global star is accepted because he confronted his failures, acknowledged them and worked to change. His redemption was not achieved by denying his past or simply carrying on until the public lost interest.

Manchester City have every right to challenge the commission’s conclusions. But they cannot expect football to overlook the questions surrounding their achievements while they continue winning.

That is especially true when no sanction has been announced and the appeal is not expected to be heard until at least January. Why should clubs accept rules that can apparently be breached on such a scale without immediate sporting consequences? What are teams competing for if serious violations bring no prompt response?

Those questions will remain as City prepare to face defending UEFA Champions League winners PSG on Wednesday night. Their appeal must run its course, but the club’s attempt to move on as if the allegations belong to another era is impossible to ignore.