Pep Guardiola must win the Champions League with Manchester City – now or never!
Unless the CAS International Sports Court does not lift the Uefa ban that City will exclude from the competition for the next two years, stars will be sold. And Pep may have an excuse to join his wife, who has long since returned to Barcelona.
The exclusion is also a shopping opportunity for the big clubs.
► I could imagine Kevin De Bruyne becoming the one creative spark that is missing in the Klopp machine in Liverpool.
► Leroy Sané could move to Munich.
► Raheem Sterling to Real Madrid, Barça or maybe Juventus?
All of these clubs have apparently passed the Uefa financial review, although Paris lawyers had to claim that the owner didn’t spend too much money in Qatar – unlike the sheikh in Abu Dhabi.
If no money from the Champions League flows into the club, City players would have to sell in order to again comply with the UEFA rule on player salaries.
The financial fair play regulations were drawn up between Michel Platini and the major clubs. EU politicians in Brussels were also involved. Then Platini was removed as Uefa president because of his own financial irregularities.
Something goes wrong if the American Manchester United owners are allowed to divert millions of club income for themselves, but it is forbidden for Sheikh Mansour to send millions to his neighbor City.
Guardiola is trapped
The sheikh financed the dream team of city fans who had spent a lifetime in the shadow of United.
City had to spend a lot to keep up with the club cartel consisting of Munich, Juve, Madrid, Barça and United. Their top positions in the leagues were already established before financial fair play was introduced.
At the moment Guardiola is trapped. Liverpool has overtaken him in England, but he longs for what he won with Barcelona and failed with Munich: the Champions League title.
Time is running against him. Either City wins the Champions League this season. Or he does something he has never done before and builds a new team with less money. Or he leaves.
Or the plaintiffs avert the UEFA judgment …
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