A week where years happen - and may keep us waiting years

The Independent’s football newsletter [SUBSCRIBE]( [SUBSCRIBE]( February 10, 2023 [View in browser](   [The Independent]( [The Independent]( A week where years happen - and may keep us waiting years City the biggest story in town When one senior football executive was sent the [Premier League's statement on Manchester City](, he says he was "floored" - with the emphasis on the word very much his. It illustrated how much of a genuine shock this was to the wider game, for all manner of reasons. There was the willingness to so charge the club, the extent of the charges, the unexpected nature of it, the likely length of the time and the potential consequences. Very few people knew that club executives were going to get served papers on Monday morning, something only emphasised by the fact that chief executive Ferran Soriano was still on the phone to the Premier League as it happened. There wasn't even an email, however, to notify the wider press that they had been charged. It just appeared as a seemingly innocuous statement on the competition website. So started a story that people in football expect to go on for more than two years. A scale that cannot be underestimated It is the absolute opposite of innocuous, of course. We are genuinely talking about one of the most momentous stories ever seen in the Premier League, beyond the Super League - more of which later. [It may even go beyond that project, precisely because the Super League was ill-fated](. It didn't quite change the face of the game. It just headed off a threat that would have done that. This might have far-reaching repercussions either way. If the alleged breaches are proven, the charges are of such seriousness that virtually all lawyers who have worked on the sport believe the Premier League commission would have little option but to recommend the most severe of punishments. That could well go up to expulsion, which could mean a humiliating fall down the divisions given the EFL would have no obligation to immediately accept City. If the these immensely expensive lawyers successfully defend the club, however, the extent of the charges will bring questions for the Premier League and potentially weaken its legitimacy. It will certainly leave a lot of other clubs asking big questions. The whole case is already - coincidentally - being described as "the most unifying" event in the Premier League since the Super League. Questions abound for players, but responses clear for now Sky Sports News is shown all the time at the City's Etihad Campus, so it's not like club employees - including the players - have been getting away from the story. [They've been constantly confronted with it, and it has naturally led to a lot of discussions within the squad.]( While many will of course be open-minded about their medium-term futures, the mood at the moment is inevitably more of a predictable siege mentality. They feel embattled, but also defiant. The mood among former players is similar but a little more complicated. Many will have of course seen previous opponents like Lucas Leiva ask if they are Premier League champions now but that has also worked the other way. Some players have been wondering whether their medal will count. The Super While many in football would love to just dismiss the Super League outright - and some did so with [really scathing words after the effective "relaunch" on Thursday]( - the fact is that nobody can quite do that. It does still present something of a threat because there is genuine unrest among European football's vast middle class of clubs, especially about the Premier League. The widespread view is that "something must be done" which is why at least 50 clubs are at least now open to the idea that the Super League can be that something. The pending judgement in the European Court of Justice may well end the project once and for all but sources within backers A22 do not expect that to be as binding as many expect from Advocate General Athanasios Rantos' recommendation. They feel it will allow sufficient leeway. Old Trafford readies for a lot of new interest The last few days already saw the [Manchester United sale bring a few big headlines](- not least as regards Qatari interest - as it approaches the soft deadline of next Friday. It is at that same point as in the Chelsea sale where there is an awful lot of noise, and posturing. The constant suspicion from would-be buyers, too, is that the Glazers naturally want to drive up the price to their desired £6bn. Purported Saudi Arabian interest would help do that. T[he Qatari stories are more complicated because, while many sources insist there is something to it](, others doubt how that would work when the country's sovereign investment fund - Qatar Sports Investments - own Paris Saint-Germain. The feeling from sources connected to the situation is that the state won't sanction anything that encroaches on that project. For now, Jim Ratcliffe is still seen as the most likely next owner, but his valuation is considerably lower than the Glazers' desired £6bn. The problem for the United owners is that is the case for most of the interested parties so far. It still isn't inconceivable they do not sell.   Top stories [Declan Rice and Enzo Fernandez: Future teammates or midfield rivals?]( [Man City scandal is not about fair play – it’s about fraud](   Enjoying this newsletter? Unlock unlimited, ad-free reading on the website and in The Independent app when you subscribe – plus, benefit from our [welcome offer when you join today](.   Miguel's Dispatches This week was one of those, to paraphrase the saying, when decades happen. Consider how quickly the news cycle moved. It had seemed it like it would be dominated by Jurgen Klopp’s abrasiveness in a press conference and how that reflected the ongoing crisis at Liverpool, but that became a distant memory by Thursday evening. In the intervening period we had Manchester City’s defeat ensuring both of the top two lost, the Premier League’s statement on the champions, Jesse Marsch getting sacked, the Manchester United sale story accelerating and then the Super League relaunching. Some of these are existential stories for the game, which can certainly make a journalist’s life intense - but exciting. So much for the nice build-up to the Champions League some of us had planned.     QUOTE OF THE WEEK "In accordance with Premier League Rule W.82.1, the Premier League confirms that it has today referred a number of alleged breaches of the Premier League Rules by Manchester City Football Club (Club) to a Commission under Premier League Rule W.3.4." The dry manner in which one of the most monumental stories in football history began   Reading the game quiz Reading the game quiz Since the modern Champions League last-16 stage was introduced in 2003-04, there have been 14 European clubs who have eliminated English clubs in this round. Some of the clubs have done this multiple times, some have just done it once. Name the 14. ([You can find out the answers here](. The answer page will be updated weekly and contains answers from previous newsletters, too)   [INDYBEST]( /BEST BUYS]( [Last-minute Valentine's gifts your partner actually wants]( Forgot to buy a gift? 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