This Thursday, the two Manchester clubs are in turmoil. City and United are both involved in a fraud case involving the age of some players in their academies.
On April 6th at 5:30 pm, the city of Manchester will be divided in two. On one side will be those who support the Red Devils. On the other, there will be those who support the Cityzens traveling to Old Trafford for this derby that smells of gunpowder. Enemies on the pitch, the two Premier League players may well join forces in the courts, as they are at the center of a massive scandal in England. This information was revealed by the Telegraph, which conducted the investigation.
Six players implicated in this case
In an article titled “Manchester United and Manchester City academy players at the center of age fraud claims,” the British publication explains that it has “photographic evidence (which) casts doubt on the eligibility of six foreign-born players and raises the possibility that some are adults.” It states that the six footballers, whose identities have not been revealed, are believed to have played in older age categories in their home countries.
The Sun, which picked up on this exclusive investigation, adds that the parents of other Manchester academy players had already alerted staff at both clubs, expressing their concerns. The English media outlet states that neither Manchester City nor Manchester United appeared to be aware that they were under the age they claimed to be. However, they took the reports and the various evidence that emerged very seriously. The Sun adds that “United and City, as well as the Premier League and the Home Office, refused to say whether they had taken or would take any action.”
City, United, and England affected
The Red Devils subsequently issued a press release. “We are committed to operating all aspects of our academy in compliance with the rules and regulations established by our governing bodies, including player recruitment and registration. We take our responsibilities regarding player welfare and safeguarding very seriously. We are proud of the reputation we have earned for treating our program participants as children first, rather than players. Our recruitment process is firmly focused on future potential rather than current performance or physical development.”
The Sky Blues, for their part, insisted that they did not violate the rules and that, according to them, they complied with all legal obligations, while adding that it is not uncommon to see very good players being upgraded. This scandal has a knock-on effect on England. Indeed, The Sun explains that three of the six players suspected in this affair played in the youth categories of the English national team. A scandal that is therefore taking on national proportions. Manchester United, Manchester City, the Premier League, and the English FA are more determined than ever to shed light on this affair, which is causing a lot of ink to flow across the Channel.
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