Really should have been a tie - terrific season for both; but even though I always root for London teams I hope Liverpool wins the Champions Cup - they deserve silverware.

Agreed.

However, today's result raises questions as to level playing fields.

Manchester City - winners of the Premier League for the second successive season - are owned by an immensely wealthy country!

Abu Dhabi.


Norwich City, back in the EPL next season, are owned by Delia Smith and her husband.

As a major sports fan, particularly football, I can see so many anomalies.

For example - in the Premiership - Manchester United have nearly 80,000 seats.

In the same league, Bournemouth have just over 10,000!


Which, I wonder, will be able to buy the best players - to win the most trophies?

Incredible domination by the top two clubs. Liverpool only lost once all season, but still didn't win the title. The irony this year is that Liverpool would rather have won the league than the champions league, and City would have rather won the champions league, as they haven't won it before, and it looks likely that the opposite is going to happen.

If Liverpool don't win the champions league, that will be 5 years in charge for Klopp with no trophy, which will be the longest time any Liverpool manager has been in charge without a trophy since the 60s. They really should take the FA cup and League cups more seriously next year.

Barney wrote:
Manchester City - winners of the Premier League for the second successive season - are owned by an immensely wealthy country! Abu Dhabi.

UEFA are now considering a ban on Manchester City - in the Champions League next season.

Because (allegedly) they contravened the Financial Fair Play rules - which sets the amount of money that can be spent on payers.

This is assessed/limited as a percentage of income - and it would appear the club's major sponsors - Eithiad Airlines - were to pay £60 million.


Howevet, two facts are highly significant.

The club's books only show a £8 million payment - and the airline and club have the same owners!


So did the club and its owners manipulate the sponsorship payment - to allow it spend more?

Barney wrote:
Barney wrote:
Manchester City - winners of the Premier League for the second successive season - are owned by an immensely wealthy country! Abu Dhabi.

UEFA are now considering a ban on Manchester City - in the Champions League next season.

Because (allegedly) they contravened the Financial Fair Play rules - which sets the amount of money that can be spent on payers.

This is assessed/limited as a percentage of income - and it would appear the club's major sponsors - Eithiad Airlines - were to pay £60 million.


Howevet, two facts are highly significant.

The club's books only show a £8 million payment - and the airline and club have the same owners!


So did the club and its owners manipulate the sponsorship payment - to allow it spend more?


Now the foreign owned and funded Manchester City wins - again - the FA Cup and two more domestic trophies.

A level playing field, no. They won at a canter; 6/0.

Just a game now which the wealthiest can win. Unlike Tennis and Golf?

Regulars will know I'm a huge Kevin de Bruyne fan and delighted that, after a bad year with injuries, he's the Man of the Match. For me he's still the best footballer in the world.