From Daily Maverick · David Rowe · · 2m
When your club breaks the rules, fans break too
Manchester City's 114 financial breaches have split its fanbase between those who accept wrongdoing and those who see conspiracy.
In brief
Manchester City's 114 financial breaches have split its fanbase between those who accept wrongdoing and those who see conspiracy. Manchester City fans respond to the club's one hundred fourteen Premier League financial breaches with denial, conspiracy theories or acceptance, mirroring how political movements handle…
Manchester City's massive breach
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Manchester City has been found guilty by the English Premier League of one hundred fourteen breaches of its financial rules. The amount in question is close to a staggering one billion pounds.
How superfans respond to shame
Researchers describe a process called moral uncoupling, through which fans who identify deeply with their team separate themselves from its troubling transgressions when experiencing collective shame.
City fans split on the verdict
Some Manchester City fans accept there might have been wrongdoing and are devastated, angry and sad. Many passionate supporters have found forgiveness easily for their team.
Who owns Manchester City
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The Sky Blues are majority-owned by the Abu Dhabi United Group through its City Football Group subsidiary, along with ten other clubs around the world including Palermo and Girona.
What superfans actually are
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For superfans, obsessive fandom is more than an oxymoron. They dress in club colours, paint their houses in team colours, travel huge distances and communicate constantly about players and prospects.
Conspiracy theories spread online
Some Manchester City supporters spread ideas about how the club has been targeted by nefarious forces. City's chief executive Ferran Soriano alleged an unspecified Premier League conspiracy theory led to the guilty verdict.
“Premier League conspiracy theory”
Journalist faces abuse from fans
Journalist Nick Harris, who covered the City story for more than a decade, described vitriol and hatred from partisan fans in denial.
“vitriol and hatred from a section of the club's partisan fanbase, which is in denial that Manchester City have ever done anything wrong”
Rangers' fall from grace
In two thousand twelve, Glasgow Rangers experienced administration and liquidation after failing to discharge bank loans and pay taxes.
City faces potential demotion
Were Manchester City to meet a similar fate to Rangers, their fans might exchange plush corporate venues like Arsenal's Emirates Stadium for modest hospitality of clubs like League Two's Accrington Stanley and Port Vale next…
In short
Manchester City fans respond to the club's one hundred fourteen Premier League financial breaches with denial, conspiracy theories or acceptance, mirroring how political movements handle scandal.
