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28

2019 Manchester City With FA Cup Final Win, Manchester City
Win Historic Domestic Treble
22nd, Raheem Sterling’s

May Referred To UEFA’s hat-trick helped ram-
pant Manchester City
| Adjudicatory Chamber cement their place in
EXAMINER Following FFP Probe Pep Guardiola’s men
the history books as

swatted aside Watford
to lift the FA Cup and

IRISH complete an extraordi-
nary domestic treble.
Fresh from wrapping up the Premier League at the end of a
rip-roaring title duel with Liverpool, City became the first men’s
team in English football history to win all three domestic major
honors.
Guardiola’s side emphatically brought the curtain down on an
exceptional season at Wembley, where Sterling’s treble comple-
mented David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne and Gabriel Jesus goals in
a 6-0 win against Watford.
It was a record-equaling FA Cup final victory and saw City add
this trophy to their league and Carabao Cup crowns.
Some would even count their Community Shield towards
their tally, but by whatever measure this has been a wonderful
season for the blue half of Manchester.
Yes, the Champions League still eludes them and the specter
of a potential ban in that competition looms large, but the feeling
was unbridled joy as City lifted the FA Cup and celebrated one of
the greatest days in the club’s history.
Watford hoped this would be their day as they looked for their
first major trophy on their second FA Cup final appearance, but
Javi Gracia’s men faded after some promising early moments.
David Silva opened the scoring and settled the nerves when
ending a 27-game run without a goal, before Bernardo Silva’s
beautiful pass found Jesus and Sterling finished on the goal line.
Watford overcame a two-goal deficit in stunning fashion in
the semi-finals, but City are a different beast. And a relentless one
anchester City decided to refer Manchester tor Yves Leterme.
have been City FC to the CFCB adjudi- “The leaks to media over at that.
Mreferred to catory chamber following the last week are indicative City kept their foot on the Hornets’ throat. Substitute De
UEFA’s adjudicatory the conclusion of his investi- of the process that has been Bruyne and Jesus netted before Sterling completed his hat-trick as
chamber for potential gation,” said a UEFA state- overseen by Mr Leterme. Guardiola overcame compatriot Gracia in the 138th FA Cup
breaches of financial fair ment. Manchester City is entire- final. C
play regulations, “The CFCB investigatory ly confident of a positive out-
Europe’s governing body chamber had opened an come when the matter is Kompany Leaves City For
has announced. investigation into considered by an independ- Player-Manager Role At Anderlecht
City were fined £49mil- Manchester City FC on 7 ent judicial body. Vincent Kompany has ended his 11-year association with
lion and hit with restrictions March 2019 for potential “Manchester City is Manchester City and been appointed player-manager of Belgian
on transfer spending and breaches of financial fair play entirely confident of a posi- side Anderlecht.
their Champions League (FFP) regulations that were tive outcome when the mat- The 33-year-old joined the Brussels club at the age of six, and
squad after FFP breaches made public in various ter is considered by an inde- his career has now come full circle after a trophy-laden stint at
were originally investigated media outlets. pendent judicial body. City.
in 2014, and UEFA began a “UEFA will not be making “The accusation of finan- He announced on his Facebook page: “I choose to be grateful
new probe after further alle- any further comment on the cial irregularities remains for the past but remain ambitious and driven for the future.
gations about the same peri- matter until a decision is entirely false and the CFCB “For the next three years, I will take up the role of player-man-
od were made in German announced by the CFCB IC referral ignores a compre- ager of Anderlecht. Belgium’s finest.
publication Der Spiegel last adjudicatory chamber.” hensive body of irrefutable “This may come as a surprise to you. It’s the most passionate
year. City said they were evidence provided by yet rational decision I’ve ever made.”
And UEFA’s club financial “entirely confident of a posi- Manchester City FC to the Kompany revealed that he had met with Anderlecht chairman
control body chief investiga- tive outcome”, adding in a chamber. Marc Coucke and sporting director Michael Verschueren last
tor has now referred the strongly-worded statement: “The decision contains summer.
Premier League champions “The accusation of financial mistakes, misinterpretations “I shared my thoughts and listened to their vision for the
to the adjudicatory chamber irregularities remains entire- and confusions fundamental- future: ambitious, courageous and determined to get back to
following the conclusion of ly false.” ly borne out of a basic lack of number one,” he wrote.
his investigation. The statement read: due process and there remain “I offered my help, no strings attached, should they need it.”
“The club financial control “Manchester City Football significant unresolved mat- Kompany says he was then offered the player-manager job in
body (CFCB) chief investiga- Club is disappointed, but ters raised by Manchester the last few weeks.
tor, after having consulted regrettably not surprised, by City FC as part of what the “I want to share my knowledge with the next purple genera-
with the other members of the sudden announcement of club has found to be a wholly tions,” he continued.
“With that, I will also put a bit of Manchester in the heart of
the independent investigato- the referral to be made by unsatisfactory, curtailed, and Belgium. This is no goodbye. It’s a see you later.” C
ry chamber of the CFCB, has the CFCB IC chief investiga- hostile process.” C