Manchester City are preparing for their appeal hearing after the independent commission found them guilty of over 100 financial breaches

Manchester City's hierarchy reportedly 'reject an explanation' over a 2017 dinner meeting between Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal, furthering suspicions from fans that a 'Red Cartel' have been working together to bring them down. The former Premier League champions are facing severe sanctions after being found guilty of 114 financial charges but are currently appealing the verdict.

United, Arsenal and Liverpool were three of the only four clubs that instructed lawyers to inform City that they had reserved their right to seek compensation should they be found guilty back in 2024. They are also said to be among the Premier League clubs pushing for City to face a serious punishment if their appeal fails.

And there is now anger growing among City fans about the perceived role the three clubs - who all play in red, giving the alleged group its name - in their downfall.

For those City supporters who believe their club has been the victim of a 'Red Cartel' of rivals colluding to bring their team down, a photograph taken by a diner at a New York restaurant co-owned by famed actor Robert De Niro is Exhibit A in their argument.

It was taken in October 2017, which predates the Premier League bringing 115 charges against City for breaking the league's financial rules in February 2023, but falls within the 2009-18 time frame covered by the investigation that led to them being found guilty on 114 counts last month.

Liverpool owner John W. Henry, Ed Woodward, Joel and Avram Glazer and Ivan Gadizis, Arsenal chief executive at the time, were pictured at a diner seven days before a Premier League vote on future broadcast revenue. Tottenham Hotspur, City and Chelsea were left out of the meeting, but it could be explained by the fact that the three clubs were American-owned, while City (Abu Dhabi), Chelsea (Russian), Spurs (British) were not.

According to ESPN, that explanation has never been accepted by City, while CEO Ferran Soriano referenced a 'conspiracy theory' at the top rung of the English football pyramid as he rejected the commission's verdict. The comments were said to be directed as much towards Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal hierarchy as the Premier League.

ESPN reported that while the club have declined to comment on the "cartel", sources have stated that those at the highest level of the club have no doubts about the intent from their rivals to create difficulty for the club.

A source with links to City was quoted as saying: "From day one, United, Arsenal and Liverpool have been terrified of losing their ability to dominate everything from the Premier League to the transfer market.

"Chelsea was already a problem for them under Roman Abramovich, but Sheikh Mansour came along [in 2008] and changed everything again, and the red clubs have been in a battle against City ever since."

The narrative surrounding the 'Red Cartel' will not be helped by the assertions from the Liverpool owner, Henry, and former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who publicly lambasted City's financial dealings in 2011, six years prior to the meeting.

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Wenger urged UEFA to investigate City and accused them of bending the rules .He said: "We must have done a bad deal. It raises the real question about the credibility of the financial fair play. That is what this is all about. They give us the message that they can get around it by doing what they want.

“It means financial fair play will not come in. It is as simple as that. I can understand how they do it but it raises the real question. The difficulty and the credibility of the financial fair play is at stake.

"Plus, if the financial fair play is to have a chance, the sponsorship has to be at the market price. It cannot be doubled, tripled or quadrupled because that means it is better that we don't do it and we leave everybody free. That can be defended as well, but if they bring the rules in they have to be respected."

Then active on social media, the Liverpool chief said: "A club's best player has to be worth at least 10% of your naming rights. Mr. Wenger says boldly what everyone thinks."

The trio of top-flight clubs found themselves in a battle on the pitch with City during the nine-year period, 2009 to 2018, jostling to be at the summit of the Premier League. City came out on top during that stage, and their supremacy stretched with Pep Guardiola's side winning four titles in a row.

The Telegraph reported earlier this month that United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur were handed the guilty verdict early and previously gave City legal notice of the right to seek compensation.

City have appealed the verdict from the Premier League as they feel they have 'irrefutable evidence' that backs their argument that they should have been found not guilty of any wrongdoing.

The commission dealing with appeals has to return a decision, under Premier League rules, within 12 weeks – giving a deadline of January 21. The ramifications for City's actions remain unclear, with the potential for record-breaking points deductions, relegations and even falling out of the English Football League (EFL).

Former midfielder Gareth Barry expressed his sadness for the City supporters for being subjected to the abuse from terraces across the Premier League following the verdict.

Speaking on All Out Football 's In The Mixer , Barry said: "If the club have broken rules, then they have to get punished. It's natural, isn't it? The football world can't work properly if rules are in place and they're getting broken.

"Listen, this is the financial side of it (football). Other teams we've seen in other countries that broke rules… You're going to get punished. So the club possibly are going to get punished at some point.

"But I think as ex-players and especially as fans, you want it done quicker rather than later. It's just an awkward situation for everyone now, isn't it?

"It's more of a sad feeling, probably for the fans. I mean the moments [I had at City], they've already happened. These are the sort of things that are not going to be ever taken away. They happened 12, 13 years ago. These things happened when I joined the club, 2009, even earlier than that.

"So I feel sorry for the fans, really. They're going to the games, getting songs sung about them and people calling them cheats. Players, fans, staff - there are decisions that you're not in control of. You don't know what's going on."