Cheaters tend to win, particularly when the people doing the cheating are rich and powerful. And those watching on, the press and pundits and commentators, will do their best to paper over the ugliness of it all given their self-interest demands they never be too critical of _the product_.
This is the reality of the world in 2026, where greed and self-interest and the grift economy extends to the highest reaches of global power. So it’s really no surprise it’s also the reality that also defines the Premier League in 2026, where Manchester City lead the league after being found guilty of industrial scale financial doping and of then working to cover it up.
It was no real surprise, then, that in the aftermath of Sunday’s 3-0 City win over Liverpool it was once again made clear the press and pundits and commentators would rather keep the focus as much as possible on City’s pleasing passing triangles—not to mention the _mental fortitude_ of City’s players, who we were all told embraced an us against the world mentality to win after being found guilty of industrial scale financial doping.
They will almost certainly keep doing that right up until the moment the undermined sporting integrity of the Premier League leads to its fall from grace, a plummeting of its standing and viewership and revenues.
For many that may seem rather unlikely given the Premier League’s global dominance amongst footballing _brands_ here in 2026_,_ but it’s worth remembering there was a time this century Serie A were Europe’s preeminent league. And it was an undermining of sporting integrity via cheating that was central to its eventual decline.
“It’s still a little bit ongoing so I don’t think it’s smart for me to comment on it right now,” was Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk’s reaction on Sunday after sportswashers and convicted £900M financial dopers Man City beat Liverpool 3-0 to keep themselves top of the Premier League table after six matchweeks.
And it seems worth reiterating that despite Van Dijk’s hesitance to comment along with the continuing desire of the press and pundit and commentator class to rock the boat as little as possible, City _are_ in fact guilty.
Their right to appeal the independent commission’s guilty verdict does not change the fact that as of today, Manchester City have been found legally guilty of engaging in £900M of financial doping spanning the better part of a decade, of seeking to cover it up, and of deriving benefit from said financial doping.
“When the verdict comes out I will definitely have my opinion and I will probably share it as well,” Van Dijk added of a case in which the verdict has in fact come out, and Manchester City have been found guilty. “But for now I don’t think it’s a smart thing to do. I’ve been in Holland, I’ve been also with some Man City players and we spoke about it but what can you do?
“We have to wait and see. You want me to say some things I don’t want to say at this moment. I think everyone could hear the fans. Everyone can share their feelings and I don’t think Anfield will be the only place where it will be the case because fans will have their feelings, but for players I don’t think it is a good idea at this moment in time.
“Does the news change how I viewed that period? No, because I really enjoyed our rivalry and it was a great rivalry on the pitch. What happened off the pitch that is for others to find a conclusion to and then we’ll see.”
So, yeah, Manchester City _have_ been found guilty. Of £900M of financial doping. And of covering it up. And they’re top of the table while the press and pundits and commentators—and players, though who can really blame them if nobody else wants to rock the boat—would rather keep the focus on pleasing passing triangles, further undermining whatever sporting integrity the league has left.
Serie A says hello, lads.
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