Man City DISASTER will give FSG and Liverpool food for thought

Manchester City are going through some problems right now - and they’ll give food for thought at Liverpool and FSG.

Manchester City are not a one-of-a-kind club in that they're part of City Group. It's an organisation run by City's owners where they control several clubs across the world.

It's a growing case in football. 'Multi-club projects' keep popping up and FSG intend to jump on the bandwagon. The benefits are fairly obvious - you end up with controlling stakes in several clubs and can use each to the benefit of the others.

City typically use it to sign players they're not 100% on. Instead, they head off to Girona or another club under the City Group umbrella and try to cut it at that level first.

City players have arrived on loan at Girona en masse since 2015/16 - when they bought into the club. The Spanish side's chairman is also Pere Guardiola, brother of Pep. There's plenty of connection there.

But has it been good for Girona or City Group? While they're doing well on the pitch, Girona are set to come under investigation for financial irregularities.

And they're not the only City Group club struggling. Troyes were purchased in 2020 and immediately won promotion to Ligue 1. However, they were relegated last year and are now facing relegation again.

There were disastrous scenes on Friday evening as fans threw flares onto the pitch, only for players to throw them back. The match was abandoned - essentially confirming relegation for Troyes - while fans ironically chanted 'Merci City'.

And this, of course, is all happening with the background of Manchester City's 115 charges for financial misconduct.

FSG get food for thought

Now, FSG will look at this and say 'we won't do anything dodgy'. But it is a sign that the tide could be turning on multi-club ownership.

When it goes well, clubs will accept it. When it goes badly, there is a very obvious target and discontent can flow in rapidly.

City Group are seeing that right now as multiple clubs, including Man City, face historic troubles. They're now facing public backlash from their own clubs - and it's one that puts the multi-club project in a new light.