That was the week that shook English football more than any other in its modern history. It was not the end of this ludicrous, multi-layered saga, but was surely the peak of us having our brains fried by the devil in the detail.
With that in mind, here are 27 things that have been taking up an awful lot of real estate in my head over the last seven days, from the punishingly serious to the comically stupid. It’s been that sort of week…
1) Nine. Hundred. Million. Just the actual enormity of the figure
That is the rough estimate by which Manchester City gained, either by underestimating expenditure or overestimating legitimate revenue. It is an extraordinary figure, almost too much to take in. So why not use this website that explains how much a billion is in pixels? The good news for Manchester City: you can take off 100 million of them.
2) David Ornstein has this all wrong… err, really?
News of the verdict leaked last Friday, well before the Premier League made any official comment and before Manchester City had said anything publicly either. That persuaded some City supporters (admittedly those who are a little too online) that David Ornstein, the best-connected man in the industry, had either taken a flyer, got his numbers wrong or was working for some shadowy cabal. Shock horror: Ornstein was proven right.
3) The fact it happened in the longest international break
This is the longest mid-season regular international break in the history of the Premier League. Many supporters fretted, wondering what on earth they would find to discuss without the all-consuming noise of England’s top flight. And then the biggest story of all broke several days in and was thus given the entirety of the stage. With necessary apologies to Czechia vs England and the Uefa Nations League, it was a tough sell.
4) The documented accusation of lying
The figures were monstrous. The details of Manchester City’s deliberate, concerted, calculated cheating were eye-watering. But most shocking of all was the detailed (in black and white) conclusions about how City witnesses had not just obfuscated but outright told untruths. It undercut everything that the club would subsequently claim in their statements and videos.
5) Aguerr-no – everything we saw was based on lies
It’s not particularly pleasant to know that everything you watched and took as competition within the sport’s accepted boundaries was based upon a lie. For Manchester City supporters, I can understand why the memories are still the memories (even if they are tainted). But that Aguero goal was the greatest ending to any elite football competition I have ever – or will ever – witness. And it was built upon sand because it was built upon lies.
6) Punishment bingo
It’s not just the sheer spectrum of the suggested punishments I’ve seen, what we might label as “Why should League Two take them”. It’s the potential breadth of the aftershocks here if City lose their appeal.
They could get the sporting punishment. Those who committed these offences could be charged by the Independent Football Regulator. They could face criminal investigation. The club could be sued by any number of related parties and rival clubs for loss of earnings. Pull the thread and watch the thing unravel.
7) The clubs who missed out
And while we’re pulling at threads, just how many clubs could feel that they have been a victim here? Every side that lost a domestic cup final? Every side that missed out on a league title? Every side that fell just short of a Champions League or Conference League place? What about losing to City in a semi-final, does that count? We could be set for the most spectacular class action lawsuits in sporting history.
8) The first five pages of the report moaning about the complexity
Although the juicy bits of the full report caught your eye, I’ve a lot of time for reading the first five pages, effectively an explanation of why the whole thing took so long. My tip: pretend that each line is delivered with a sigh, eye roll and check of the watch.
“Over the course of more than 200 pages [emphasis for effect] the Club’s Answer set out the numerous individual bases underlying each of its denials. [Huff. Sigh.] The Club’s Answer was also supplemented by Further Information. [Eye roll.]
“Although the parties made great efforts – for which we were extremely grateful [pretend sarcasm] – not to drown us in paper at the hearing, the volume of documents contained in the bundle used at the hearing remained extremely substantial. [Put ear to watch.]”
9) Djibril Cisse challenging Mike Dean to a fight
Yep, that happened a few days ago and you’d already forgotten it despite it being a decent contender for stupidest thing to happen in any other year.
10) They didn’t need to do this – they could still have won!
This is the thing I can’t shake, and I’m aware that this might be totally wrong but I still can’t shake it. The cheating was designed to shortcut the process, to allow more spending and rapid improvement to the pinnacle.
But before 2011, owners could effectively inject unlimited capital anyway. And, honestly, given the component parts and a club being constructed internally for Pep Guardiola, I’m not even sure they needed to do it to win trophies. They got more than 90 league points four times.
11) The Arsene Wenger quote from 2011
“It raises the real question about the credibility of financial fair play. They give us the message that they can get around it by doing what they want. It means financial fair play will not come in. It is as simple as that. I can understand how they do it but it raises the real question.
“If the financial fair play is to have a chance, the sponsorship has to be at the market price. It cannot be doubled, tripled or quadrupled because that means it is better that we don’t do it and we leave everybody free. That can be defended as well, but if they bring the rules in they have to be respected.”
Yeah, I’ve been thinking about that a fair bit.
12) That 2019 post-match interview when Guardiola got angry
“Do you know the question you’re asking me? Did I receive money for another situation, right now, today? Honestly, do you think I deserve to have this type of question, the day we won the treble, did I receive money? Are you accusing me of receiving money?
“If we’re punished we accept it. But I listen to my chairman [Khaldoon al-Mubarak] and my CEO [Ferran Soriano], they give me the arguments for why we are under investigation and I trust them. They tell me we are fair and we absolutely follow the rules, I believe them.”
Got angry, but never actually gave an answer.
13) And speaking of Pep quotes
“I want every single Manchester City fan across the world to know I am here; more than ever,” Guardiola posted on social media. “I am, always have been, always will be behind my club, my owner, my chairman, Ferran, the players, staff, Enzo [Maresca] and you, our unique supporters. Let me be clear: we will get through this together. I love you all.”
That’s nice. But you did say you would accept punishment? And you’re there despite leaving just before this all broke.
14) The BBC 5 Live Suffragette guy
Honestly, I don’t think that will be beaten. Talksport does a billion phone-ins with spicy callers and then Auntie Beeb goes and wins the lot.
15) This is not Roberto Mancini’s problem, guv
“It’s not an issue that concerns me,” said Mancini before the Premier League’s official statement. “It’s nothing new because this matter has been discussed for the last four or five years. Manchester City has not been found guilty, and the alleged double contract is not my concern. It’s their issue, not mine.”
They have now, Bobby. And it sure feels like that double contract might be an issue for both of you. I’ve been thinking about that magnificent chutzpah a lot.
16) Ferran Soriano not blinking
Honestly, this is the biggest one. I’m not saying that this case has lived in my head rent-free and put up its own furnishings that I broadly dislike, but on Wednesday afternoon I did an actual Google search for the phrase “world record longest no blink”.
(Mack Borys, Winnipeg in Canada. Set this year at one hour, 45 minutes. But it’s unofficial and, with some more club videos, I reckon Soriano has a shot).
17) Omar Berrada walking into work
“Afternoon Carol, good day? Sounded quite busy around the desk?”
“Err yeah, Omar. Look, you haven’t seen the news have you?”
“I’ve been snowed under, Carol. No rest for the wicked, ha ha ha”
“Yeah, funny phrase that.”
“Have I missed anything, Carol?”
“You actually have. You know your CV – well it mentioned being Head of International Business Development, Director of Partnership Sales, Group Commercial Director and then Chief Operating Officer at Manchester City. And it’s just that… I’ll pop a meeting in your diary for the morning.”
18) The Anfield atmosphere
Liverpool and Manchester City don’t like each other much, a rivalry fuelled by their title tussles over the last decade and the insistence from Liverpool supporters that they forged history while Manchester City bought theirs. And then this story broke.
So what is the first Super Sunday fixture after the most news-rich international break in Premier League history? Liverpool vs Man City.
Oh Mr Fixture Computer, you are spoiling us. It’s going to be absolutely soaked in righteous anger and cat-calling. Vicious banter turned up to 11. Yes please.
19) What if Manchester City win the league?
Sorry to get serious again, but there is a huge potential problem on the horizon. Because of how this works, Manchester City are entitled to a full appeal. Any sanctions can hardly apply until after that appeal is heard, because that’s not how sport works. You can’t restore docked points and go back to where you were, obviously.
But what if City win the league (or even qualify for the Champions League, as is overwhelmingly likely). If you thought that everything before was based on falsehoods, Pandora’s Box has now been firmly opened. There will be an almighty kerfuffle at the end of the season if the sanctions are not able to be applied then, and you can absolutely see why. Or, to be more blunt: if you thought that this was messy before…
20) Roy Keane saying that he would throw his medals away
I don’t know if that is true. I don’t even know if Roy Keane really thinks it, given everything he says is recorded for a podcast or YouTube channel now and he’s a low-key brilliant entertainer. I just love that a man schooled and developed under Brian Clough used Cloughie’s phraseology about this case. As a sad Nottingham Forest sap, it gave me a jolt of pride. Pathetic.
21) Joe Hart as a man of trust
“My honest opinion is I’ve got no reason not to trust Khaldoon…He’s been excellent with everything that he’s done with Manchester City… I’ve got nothing but love for the club, nothing but love for him, nothing but respect for him.
“My genuine feeling, as someone who played for the club, is that I’m going to have to let it play out… But for me, someone who I trust, someone who’s led me and led the club brilliantly, what he said is enough.”
Unfortunate timing for Hart, delivered shortly before the verdict, but I also understand the take. I expect nobody to feel much sympathy for highly-paid players here, but having someone tell you that the successes of your career were built upon cheating and lies must be a fairly weighty punch to the gut.
22) The sheer spectrum of the Manchester City fan response
We’ve mentioned the Emmeline Pankhurst radio guy, but more broadly this is an emphatic reminder that football supporters, often treated as one mass when it comes to matters of tribalism, are anything but.
The excellent David Mooney on Sky Sports News, detailing his visceral anger at how the club have behaved and betrayed his trust, had to turn off the comments on his tweets because he couldn’t face the abuse that he would receive from fellow fans. A reminder that most football supporters aren’t loud or abusive on social media and, as such, we shouldn’t judge a fanbase by the online reaction of the minority.
23) City Football Group – what happens now?
The added complexity of this case is that it isn’t just Manchester City who may be impacted. They are the highest-profile club within a large nexus: New York City FC, Melbourne City FC, Yokohama F. Marinos, Montevideo City Torque, Girona FC, Shenzhen Peng City FC, Mumbai City FC, Lommel SK, ESTAC Troyes, Palermo FC, Bahia.
If the ownership of the club is challenged by authority or negative supporter reaction, it is reasonable to wonder what happens to the future of the conglomerate as a whole. If nothing else, it’s pretty wretched PR for those working in other CFG clubs to have to deal with.
24) The one true soldier in the fight
Sorry to all the journalists who investigated this case and whom Manchester City tried to silence. But you should all have done better than Keysey.
25) Irrefutable evidence – a secret history
Manchester City insist that they possess a “comprehensive body” of “irrefutable evidence” that proves their innocence and it’s a phrase that has caused great confusion.
That confusion boils down to two obvious points:
a) if this evidence is so strong, why did nobody think to bring it up during the four years that we’ve been forced to wade through?
b) if it was indeed brought up and heard, that rather suggests that either the evidence was indeed refutable or its irrefutability didn’t actually make any difference to the strength of your argument, which rather suggests a limitation in your chance of winning an appeal.
26) Poor Sun Jihai, catching birthday strays
Happy Birthday to Sun Jihai
— Manchester City (@ManCity) September 30, 2026pic.twitter.com/JP7L3PvKex
On Wednesday morning, Sun Jihai logs into his Instagram account. It is his birthday, 49 years young. He prepares to have a special day, surrounded by his family and friends. It is now 10 years since he retired as a professional footballer. It almost feels like half a lifetime ago.
As he scrolls through his account, he sees that one of his former clubs have wished him a very happy birthday. He thinks it a lovely touch. After all, the six years he spent at Manchester City were amongst the happiest of his life.
Below the post is 1,680 comments. Wow, he thinks. What an absolute honour, all these people sending salutations on this fine day. He grabs a mug of hot coffee, sits down at the table and begins to read through the best wishes from Instagram users across the football community.
27) The Prime Minister couching criticism
I’m not thick; I get it. The UAE owning Manchester City also brought in significant investment into east Manchester, something that was desperately needed and the local council could hardly afford on their own. The former Mayor of Manchester is now the Prime Minister, ergo he’s always going to be slightly careful about his direct criticism.
But my goodness, if this doesn’t convince you that an actual state owning a football club should be banned because things have the clear potential to get horribly messy geopolitically, I don’t know what will.
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