Man City FFP: Secret ‘Red Cartel’ meeting the ‘smoking gun’ as Soriano rejects explanation

Manchester City CEO Ferran Soriano has rejected explanations regarding a 2017 New York dinner meeting between executives of Liverpool, Arsenal, and Manchester United, according to an ESPN report. City figures reportedly view the meeting as key evidence of a coordinated effort by rival clubs, dubbed the 'Red Cartel', to restrict City's rise through financial regulations.

The scrutiny follows an independent commission finding Manchester City guilty of 114 Premier League rule breaches relating to sponsorship earnings, a verdict the club has appealed. The private dinner took place in October 2017 ahead of a vote on broadcast revenue, attended by Joel and Avram Glazer, Ed Woodward, John W. Henry, and Ivan Gazidis.