Manchester City, hands down, played a major role in the sale of Newcastle being blocked. Liverpool and Tottenham were also major players in the Premier League blocking the deal from happening. Truthfully, nobody really wanted it, but if you're looking for clubs that had their hands dirtier than others there are your culprits. LFC and Spurs were not as discreet about it, for sure. United and Arsenal were up near the top of the list, as you'd expect.
The front was piracy of matches, but if we're all being adults there, geopolitics and another threat at the top of the table was all it was. Which I am completely fine with. That's self preserving, self serving interest at play in the business of sport. The other clubs aren't going to say it out loud. Look how quickly clubs like City, Leipzig, PSG, Monaco, etc. all rose to the top of Europe with wealthy ownership. Does anyone in England want some oil billionaire to purchase a club like Newcastle or Blackpool? No. They will admit it but won't say the real reasons why.
FFP really has not punished anyone significantly, so whatever Fulham is or isn't doing, they need to do it better. And the American owned clubs had better realize that they're not dealing with the Oakland A's and Tampa Rays here. Outside of the Americas, nobody gives a shit about baseball and European football clubs are not being run like North American sports, FFP or not. Citah and Chelski can't be faulted for their ambition. They don't piss on the heads of their supporters and tell them it's raining, I'll give them that, and they sure as hell don't give a damn about Moneyball.
