Integrity has been the buzzword of the week within football amid two significant announcements, both of which could impact Manchester United.
On Monday, the Premier League submitted more than 100 allegations against Manchester City which claim there has been financial unfair play going on at the club. If found guilty, potential punishments range from fines and title-stripping, which would hand United a number of added league triumphs.
Four days later, A22 Sports Management, the group spearheading the revival of the European Super League (ESL), unveiled plans to create a new multi-division format. Its detail-free pledge to create overall sustainability and support domestic competitions highlighted the blatant immiscibility of it all - the two can’t co-exist. But there is hypocrisy from all angles, not just the ESL.
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Uefa are in a legitimacy battle with the remaining ESL clubs - Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus (recently deducted 13 points in Serie A for financial irregularities) - over 2021’s failed ploy.
Yet last year Uefa approved wide-scale changes to the Champions League that make it a Super League in all but name. One big group stage table with 10 games and the final few places of the 36-team format being given on coefficient ranking, favouring the bigger clubs.
In actuality, footballing integrity has been a topic of conversation beyond just this week - especially for United fans, who feel their owners lost it a long time ago.
The attempted whole-scale breakaway of 2021 only fuelled the animosity towards the Glazers with all the owners of the ‘big six’ Premier League clubs also lowering the mask before being quickly told to do a U-turn.
On Friday, Erik ten Hag was asked about the newest proposals put forward by A22. He remained neutral on the subject, saying: "I'm aware of the dynamic of what's going on in sections but if I see they're coming up with new ideas I have to have a look at it and I will make an opinion.”
However, he did underline that structural progress was a good thing, but only as long as “it is in favour of football.”
It’s clear any breakaway would not benefit the game and by Ten Hag underlining the importance of positive development, it indirectly sends a message to the potential incoming owners - don’t make the same mistake as the Glazers did.
United fans who ever visit the ESL website can still see the initial statement from Avram Glazer as ‘vice-president’ in a stinging reminder of his error. The Glazers, now looking to sell up, later apologised for their role in the breakaway but fans don’t forget.
The apology statement from Joel Glazer read: "In the background, you can be sure that we will be taking the necessary steps to rebuild relationships with other stakeholders across the game, with a view to working together on solutions to the long-term challenges facing the football pyramid.”
United fans can be the judge of that. But Ten Hag has made his north star clear in regards to any restructuring of football and the new owners who come in would be wise to heed it.
The Premier League has threatened to kick out any clubs who attempted another breakaway again. With it now trying to show it can clamp down on alleged misdemeanours, potential buyers of United would be very bold in going against Ten Hag’s stance.
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