Man City were being investigated by FIFA for the breach of rules regarding the international transfers of players under the age of 18.
And last week, the governing body of football found the Premier League outfit guilty which meant that they were in line for serious punishment.
But surprisingly, Man City were only fined a little over £300,000 for violating the rules and this has not gone down too well with the fans of other clubs.
A statement from FIFA said: “The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has sanctioned English club Manchester City FC for breaches relating to the international transfer and registration of players under the age of 18.
“Manchester City FC was found to have breached, amongst others, Article 19 of the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players.
“The Disciplinary Committee took into account the fact that Manchester City FC accepted its responsibility and sanctioned the club with a fine of CHF 370,000.
“The protection of minors is a key element in FIFA’s overall regulatory framework relating to the transfer of players, and the effective enforcement of these rules is paramount, as has also been confirmed on various occasions by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
“The decision issued by the Disciplinary Committee was notified today.”
The fans from almost every club have been raging not only at the nature of the punishment but also to the fact that FIFA chose to only fine Man City around £300,000 even when the club actually admitted to breaching the rules.
The official statement from the Etihad outfit read: “Manchester City FC can confirm that it has today received a reprimand and a CHF 370,000 fine following the decision of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee concerning the international transfer of players under the age of 18, particularly in relation to their trial periods and participation in friendly games.
“The club accepts responsibility for the breaches which arose as a result of misinterpretation of the regulations in question. All of the breaches occurred before December 2016 when guidance on the interpretation of the provisions was issued, since which date Manchester City has been fully compliant.
“The club regards highly and shares FIFA’s determination to ensure the protection of minors in football and has cooperated fully with the investigation which has been transparent and evidenced-based at all times.”
And all the fans have been comparing the situation with that of Chelsea who were given a two-window transfer ban for breaching the same rules and regulations.
But here are some factors which FIFA might have taken into consideration before they decided to make a final call on Man City.
Some experts believe that the fact that Man City actually admitted to the breach was a big reason why there was only a monetary punishment.
Chelsea, on the other hand, might have cooperated with FIFA but they kept on denying the violations.
Another big factor why Man City were let off the hook and Chelsea not was because this wasn’t the first time that the Blues were being investigated for such infractions.
But for fans who are disheartened with FIFA’s decision still, have the UEFA and the FA investigations to look forward to which could lead to harsher punishments for Man City(like banning the club from the Champions League).
