Manchester City have made their move. The club confirmed on Friday that it has lodged a comprehensive appeal against the independent commission's finding that City breached Premier League financial rules — a verdict that could end with anything from a points deduction to expulsion, or the stripping of titles. City say the commission's opinion contains "clear material errors, of law, principle and fact and is unsafe," and insist a "comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence" backs their innocence. The appeal beat Friday's deadline, so the lawyers get their shot at unwinding a judgment the Premier League believes should rewrite the history of the last decade.
You'd think the England camp, busy preparing for Saturday's Nations League trip to Croatia, would be a sanctuary from all this. It isn't. Thomas Tuchel admitted on Friday that the verdict is "a big topic" among his players — including City's Elliot Anderson and Marc Guehi, both in the squad. "Everyone speaks about it, so there is no other voice needed," Tuchel said. "I am glad to be not that voice. No one needs my half knowledge on the topic." Asked whether he'd keep picking City players if the club were relegated, he didn't blink: "I would always try to pick the best team for the camp, occasion, the tournament."
And that, in a sentence, is why this saga is bigger than one club's ledger. The FA has warned the verdict carries "significant implications for the integrity of the game," a separate hearing on sanctions is still to come, and the whole thing has reportedly put strain on UK-UAE diplomatic ties. City deny everything, the Premier League says the evidence speaks for itself, and now everyone — from the Etihad boardroom to the England dressing room — just waits.
