The world of football is spooked. It's not because of a sudden recognition that Manchester City is breaking financial fair play guidelines, but because football authorities may actually do something about it.
The real issue as the matter unfolds is whether or not Manchester City will be punished. Is there a real possibility of relegation for Man City and could there be a mass exodus of players away from the Etihad Stadium in particular? While the Citizens' executives are perhaps slightly more concerned about other aspects of this case, we gamers are concerned about our games first and foremost.
Martyn Ziegler reported that the English Premier League's four-year-long investigation into Manchester City's finances has concluded that the club had violated several financial regulations since 2009 and would be penalised for these violations. These charges will have to be proven in court before any punishment can be applied, but what will happen if City does not?
The Premier League may impose its justice in several ways, from a monetary fine, which would be the best-case scenario for City, to a promotion to the Championship. Other options include point deductions and suspension of Man City from continental competition.
Manchester City cannot be thrown into League Two, as some supporters have argued, because the Premier League does not govern lower-tier English competitions, thus the worst they can do is relegate them to the Championship.
The other popular opinion is that City's league titles might be taken away and given to teams that finished second in those seasons, citing Juventus' actions back in the day as an example. This is a completely different crime from "simply" violating financial regulations.
What does FIFA 23 have to do with it? Like every other real-life football event, quite a lot. Manchester City is one of the most successful clubs in the world and has some of the world's best players on their roster. So imagine what might happen if Manchester City, of all teams, sells out. It's utter chaos!
Maybe Joo Cancelo was the first domino of a sequence we didn't know was in motion. The years to come will show if that's the case. If not, then prepare for a whole different view of the Premier League, European football, and yes, FIFA 23 and FUT.