howiemark

Just got AI to remove Man City's results: Vacating Manchester City’s records would have created an estimated financial swing for Leicester City of between £170 million and £220 million+. While the direct merit payments during the initial breach period (2009–2018) are relatively modest, the downstream consequences of Manchester City occupying Champions League spots and Premier League places directly triggered Leicester’s multi-year financial crisis, culminating in their 2022–23 relegation and Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) charges. 1. Direct Merit Payments: ~£6.3m (2014–2018) Leicester spent four seasons in the top flight during the official breach period. Moving up one position each year (excluding their 2015–16 title-winning season) yields an immediate prize money uplift: SeasonActual FinishPosition Without Man CityMerit Payment Difference 2014–1514th (41 pts)13th+~£2.0m 2015–161st (81 pts)1st (Champions)£0 (City finished 4th) 2016–1712th (44 pts)11th+~£2.1m 2017–189th (47 pts)8th+~£2.2m Total+~£6.3m 2. The Champions League Heartbreaks: ~£70m – £90m (2019–20 & 2020–21) This was the pivotal turning point in Leicester's modern history. In back-to-back seasons under Brendan Rodgers, Leicester spent almost the entire campaign inside the top four, only to slip to 5th on the final day: 2019–20: Leicester finished 5th (62 pts); Manchester City finished 2nd (81 pts). (UEFA initially banned City from European competition for two years in February 2020, which would have passed the Champions League spot to 5th-place Leicester, before the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned the ban in July 2020). 2020–21: Leicester finished 5th (66 pts); Manchester City won the league (86 pts). Without City, Leicester finishes 4th ahead of West Ham. The Revenue Gap: UCL vs. Europa League Champions League Group Stage: Guaranteed base participation, UEFA coefficient pool, and UK television pool pay out £50m – £75m+ per club before matchday revenue (Leicester earned roughly £70m from their 2016–17 UCL quarter-final run). Europa League Reality: Leicester earned approximately £13m in 2020–21 (Round of 32 exit) and £15m in 2021–22. The Financial Deficit: Missing the Champions League twice cost Leicester an estimated £70m to £90m in UEFA distributions alone. Crucially, the lack of UCL revenues caused their wage-to-turnover ratio to balloon to 85%, which triggered an emergency spending freeze. 3. Relegation Avoidance and the PSR Crisis: ~£100m – £130m+ (2022–23) In 2022–23, Leicester City finished 18th with 34 points, two points behind Everton (36 points). Under the standard regulatory model where Manchester City are disqualified or demoted to 20th, 18th place survives. Avoiding relegation would have spared Leicester catastrophic balance-sheet damage: Turnover Drop: In Leicester’s official 2022–23 accounts, the club posted an £89.7m loss. In the Championship (2023–24), even with £44m in parachute payments, club turnover collapsed from £177.3m down to £105.3m—an immediate £72m annual revenue loss. Distressed Player Fire-Sales: Because of the drop into the Championship and the need to meet PSR requirements, Leicester lost significant bargaining power: James Maddison was sold to Tottenham for £40m (widely valued above £60m before relegation). Harvey Barnes was sold to Newcastle for £38m. Youri Tielemans, Çağlar Söyüncü, Ayoze Pérez, and Daniel Amartey walked away on free transfers after contract extension talks collapsed amidst the relegation fight. PSR Sanctions: The 2022–23 losses resulted in a formal Premier League PSR charge, an EFL transfer embargo, and ongoing legal defense costs. Estimated Total Financial Impact Impact Category Affected Seasons Conservative Financial Swing Primary Driver Direct Merit Payments 2014–18 +£6.3m Higher PL finishing spots (+1 place each year). Lost Champions League Revenue 2020–22 +£70m – £90m Upgraded from Europa League to UCL group stages. Avoided Relegation Revenue Cliff 2023–24 +£72m Retaining top-flight broadcast and sponsorship baseline. Preserved Player Asset Equity 2023 +£30m – £45m Avoiding cut-price sales and squad contract expiries. Estimated Aggregate Impact  £178m – £213m+  The indirect chain reaction was decisive. Had Leicester collected an additional ~£80m in Champions League money between 2020 and 2022, they would not have entered the summer 2022 transfer window with an emergency spending freeze (signing only Wout Faes). That squad stagnation led directly to their poor run of form, the sacking of Brendan Rodgers, and the relegation that cost the club over £100m in a single year.

VLC86...he has used us as a cash cow, you know the shareholders and Tops money still gets paid! No doubt the suppliers and anyone else we owe money to, will get a penny to the pound if they are lucky

Top has factored everything to the loan company, any money/invoices go straight to them, plus an enormous amount of interest.

Actually thought for a moment that we are that massive we do not need a shirt sponsor on our shirt! and they'd put like a QR code into the badge instead.