Manchester City Unleash Finest Players As They Compete In Champions League Next Season

Manchester City will be allowed to compete in the Champions League next season after seeing their ban overturned but comments from the likes of Klopp were completely unnecessary I must say.

All the jealousy and bitterness aimed at Manchester City after their two-year ban from Europe was overturned and this is unfair.

I want to see City win the Champions League next month – they have a great chance – and I am pleased they would be clear to defend it next season.

First and foremost, the bottom line is that the charges of financial misconduct against City were dismissed by an independent body.

They were accused of breaching Financial Fair Play regulations and they were cleared.

And even their fine, for refusing to co-operate with the investigation, was reduced from £27m to £9m.

What does it mean for the future of FFP? I suspect City’s successful appeal means other clubs will challenge UEFA’s authority.

But I did not enjoy the sneers of envy directed at City when the verdict was announced.

Above all, I was happy for the supporters, especially the loyal thousands who lived through the lean years when the club was in League One and stuck with their club when the Blue Moon was waning.

I remember the days when City’s local derbies were against Macclesfield and Stockport, not across town at Old Trafford.

And I have not enjoyed some of the sideways comments from within the game that City’s successful appeal against their ban is somehow a bad day for football.

Look beyond the trophies they have won on the pitch over the last decade and you’ll find that City’s success has transcended football.

Owner Sheikh Mansour’s investment has regenerated a whole part of the city bringing jobs, housing, transport links and optimism to a part of Manchester that was sorely in need of refurbishment.

A large area of land, including Connell College, was donated by City for the council to develop.

City has attracted Pep Guardiola, arguably the greatest coach in the world, to the Premier League.

If Arsene Wenger introduced a whole new culture to the English game when he arrived at Arsenal 24 years ago, Guardiola has revolutionised the way we play from grassroots to the top of the Premier League.

We have had the privilege of watching David Silva, one of the greatest players ever to grace the top flight, whose influence is right up there with Eric Cantona and Thierry Henry among world-class imports.

City is in good shape to reach the Champions League quarter-finals, leading Real Madrid 2-1 after the first leg and  I hope they go on to win it and keep the trophy on these shores.

And it would be astonishing if anyone topped the sheer drama of Sergio Aguero’s title-clinching winner in 2012.

Manchester City has given us many reasons to celebrate their influence in the game and, for me, those reasons far outweigh the jealousy and bitterness of rivals.

If City’s ban had no been overturned, I fear we would have lost Guardiola, and possibly some of their best players including Kevin de Bruyne, with no Champions League football.

They are not the first club to enjoy success after investing heavily in the squad.

Chelsea has done it, Manchester United have done it, Liverpool made big-money signings (although their net spend is relatively low), and Blackburn spent big to win the title back in 1995.

Even Leicester’s miracle of 2016, which was by no means a triumph of spending, was based on their fantastic owners converting £103 million of the club’s debt into equity.

It’s not as if City have the only Ferrari in the race where other clubs have a Vauxhall Corsa or Nissan Micra.

Everything about going to the Etihad is an enjoyable experience – the friendly staff, the catering, the media department, the fans… and the football on the pitch.

Instead of bitterness and jealousy, I am grateful for the way Pep’s philosophy has taken root in English football and how he assembled one of the finest teams we’ve ever seen.

With the current form and players, next season promises to be an explosive season for Manchester City.