MLS won't investigate NYCFC after Manchester City guilty decision, says commissioner
- Commissioner Garber gives NYCFC owners a free pass—no investigation despite Man City's $1.1B 'sham payments' ruling.
- City Football Group's tentacles reach from Manchester to Queens, sharing execs and Etihad's cash-stuffed jersey deals.
- NYCFC's CFO is a Man City finance veteran from the very scandal era—but hey, no questions asked, right?
- Garber says multi-club ownership is fine as long as someone builds a stadium—'we're thankful and appreciative,' naturally.
- Meanwhile, the Premier League sanctions Man City while MLS fans wonder if their trophy cabinet is just a shell game.
Brief Summary
MLS Commissioner Don Garber has effectively told everyone to look away from the Abu Dhabi elephant in the room after Manchester City—sister club to NYCFC under the City Football Group umbrella—was found guilty of cooking its books to the tune of £830 million in 'sham payments.' The league will not poke its nose into how CFG runs its other businesses, because apparently what happens in Manchester stays in Manchester—even when the same CFO, a finance boss from the cheating era, now sits atop NYCFC's books and the same UAE airline sponsors both jerseys and the new Queens stadium. Garber, with the tact of a diplomat and the nerve of a used car salesman, insists MLS only cares about its own rules, praising CFG for building nice things and gracing the league with its presence. So if you were hoping for accountability or even a raised eyebrow, congratulations—you're barking up the wrong MLS tree, where 'integrity' is just a word that pays the bills.
Why This Matters
For the average fan, this isn't just about a foreign soccer scandal—it's about whether your local team's success is legit or just another line item on a billionaire's global spreadsheet. If MLS won't police its own owners when they're caught red-handed in one league, what's to stop the same tricks from landing stateside? The cozy relationship between CFG and MLS regulators should make you less 'thankful and appreciative' and more suspicious that the real competition here is between accountants, not players. Your ticket money and fandom are betting on a level playing field, but this is a strong hint that the house—and the sheikh—might be stacking the deck.