Michelin star Brighton host accused FFP breachers Man City

It is far to say that Man City boss Pep Guardiola is a fan of Brighton and his counterpart in the Albion dugout Roberto De Zerbi.

Speaking before the Citizens arrived at the Amex for the penultimate game of what has been a historic 2022-23 season for both clubs, Guardiola hailed De Zerbi as one of the most influential managers of the past 20 years.

“There is no team playing the way they play,” Guardiola said. “I had the feeling when he arrived the impact he would have in the Premier League would be great. I didn’t expect him to do it in this short space of time.

“He creates 20 or 25 chances per game, better by far than most opponents. He monopolises the ball in a way it hasn’t been for a long time. Everybody is involved – the goalkeeper is like a holding midfielder. They deserve completely the success they have.”

“Brighton is the master of when to pass to the free man. They move at the right time. They don’t pass the ball until the opponent moves.”

“If you don’t play at a high level he can do whatever he wants against you. They are one of the teams I try to learn a lot from.”

“It’s like a Michelin star restaurant, it’s unique. In Catalunya it was El Bulli with Ferran Adria the best cook for many, many years. He changed completely, completely, the cuisine.”

“Pay attention to what I’m going to say because I’m pretty convinced I’m right – Roberto de Zerbi is one of the most influential managers in the last 20 years.”

We have been here before of course, with Guardiola gushing about Brighton prior to his Man City side facing the Seagulls. Back in May 2021, he loved Graham Potter and the way the Albion played under Glow Up.

The love-in did not last long. Potter masterminded Brighton coming from 2-0 down to win 3-2 against the Citizens and Guardiola refused to shake his hand afterwards, instead storming down the Amex tunnel amid a quite incredible hissy fit.

What made this reaction all the more fantastic was that there was nothing to play for. The Albion were safe from relegation and City already crowned Premier League winners with one eye on the Champions League final. Sound familiar?

It is a similar scenario this time around. The title has already been presented and paraded around the Etihad Stadium, leaving Guardiola and his players to concentrate on equalling Manchester United’s treble winners of 1999.

Next Saturday they take on United in the FA Cup final, followed a week later by Inter Milan in the Champions League. Guardiola might therefore rest players when Man City take on Brighton, not that it makes much difference to the quality of their starting XI.

Such is City’s financial might (and the allegedly illegal way in which they spend it) that they simply replace Erling Haaland with Julian Alvarez or Jack Grealish with Phil Foden. Even if Guardiola sends out his “reserves”, the Albion are in for a tough evening.

Which makes it just as well that Brighton have secured Europa League football. Almost. We say almost, because Aston Villa could yet initiate a 17 goal swing and overtake if the Albion were to lose to the champions and at Villa Park on Sunday.

That seems pretty improbable. But if Brighton can ship five goals at home to 19th placed, lowest scorers in the Premier League since the winter break Everton, then maybe City are able to win 15-0 at the Amex? It would be quite a sensational cock up if it were to happen.

Such a margin of victory would also give Guardiola another Premier League record for the biggest ever winning margin. The problem with City racking up these records and filling the Etihad with countless trophies is that every single one of them currently comes with an asterisk.

To what extent have City cooked their books and broken Financial Fair Play rules to buy their success? The FA has charged them with 115 breaches going back 14 years, suggesting systematic cheating over the entire period Abu Dhabi has been using the club to sportswash its image.

Sheikh Mansour can of course afford the best and most expensive lawyers in the world, as UEFA found to its cost when attempting to bring City to heel in a similar case several years ago surrounding continental level FFP rule breaking.

The FA would surely have seen those UEFA charges overturned and subsequently made sure their own case is watertight. City do appear to be more desperate this time, with one of their arguments for not being punished apparently that one of the FA’s legal team is an Arsenal fan.

And so the great City sportswashing project hangs by a thread. Abu Dhabi owns the Citizens for the purpose of the world associating its nation with Guardiola, Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne and one of the finest football teams in history.

Rather than modern day slavery, human rights abuses, lack of free speech and persecution of the LGBTQ+ community in an unelected hereditary monarchy.

If City lose their appeal and are proven to have broken FFP rules, all that sportswashing goes out the window. Abu Dhabi will be forever associated with the football club owners who financially doped their way to dominance of English football, thinking themselves above the rules.

So when Guardiola refers to Brighton as “unique”, he could also mean compared to how City and the rest of the European Super League Elite Six operate.

The Albion have broken the monopoly on the top six positions this year with a boyhood fan as owner, via sensible recruitment and spending modest amounts.

They went and found an innovative coach who much of the football world had never heard of before, and who has since beaten Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United.

De Zerbi should also have a victory over Spurs to his name, only to be cheated out of that by the performance of the match officials at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Beating City would effectively complete the set. In financial terms, there should be no way that this Albion side costing less in total than the £100 million Guardiola lavished on Jack Grealish alone should be competing with the champions.

Brighton though are showing the world there is a different way. City can enjoy their tainted silverware and success which might yet be taken away.

The Brighton journey is a million times more authentic and enjoyable than that of Man City. Without a single petrodollar, Sheikh or accusation of FFP rule breaking in sight. Michelin star stuff, indeed.