In brief
Concerns regarding the treatment of lower-tier clubs have been raised by the controversy surrounding Savinho’s transfer between City Football Group clubs.
Despite not playing a single competitive game for his original club, the Brazilian winger paid £30 million to join Man City.
Girona made their Champions League debut, but they were concerned because of CFG ownership constraints.
This week, Manchester City’s first summer acquisition has increased scrutiny of the City Football Group. Savinho, a winger for Brazil, was recruited by Pep Guardiola’s team from Troyes, a French team, for an estimated £33.7 million till 2029.
With nine goals and ten assists, the 20-year-old was a standout on loan at Girona last season, helping the team finish third in La Liga behind Real Madrid and Barcelona and earn a spot in the Champions League for the first time in the club’s history.
But because Girona and Troyes are members of the City Football Group, the trade immediately reignited controversy. Savinho’s success in Spain has been a little out of the ordinary because of a complicated trade involving three sister teams that has already caused controversy at Troyes, the player’s parent club.
Since Savinho has never participated in a meaningful game for the northeastern French team, there are worries that Troyes, which was just demoted for the second straight season, has been used by sister clubs in higher divisions throughout Europe.
Why The Transfer Has Sparked Fury
Troyes fans have protested about the situation
Flares were thrown onto the pitch during Troyes’ Ligue 2 match against Valenciennes in May, and some players were even observed bringing the flares back to the stands after the contest had been abandoned after 89 minutes. To escape back-to-back relegations at the time, the team had to overcome a seven-point deficit to safety in just three games, which sparked anti-owner rallies.
As previously indicated, Troyes collapsed into the third level of French football after failing to overcome relegation fears. Many will be surprised, however, by their supporters’ choice to mockingly scream “Merci City” in order to express their disapproval of the way the CFG ownership has affected their team, with the Savinho situation being a contentious issue.
The two clubs don’t seem to have anything in common from the outside. But CFG’s choice to disregard Troyes in favour of upward wealth redistribution is akin to a reverse Robin Hood.
Savinho joined Troyes in 2022 as a 'City Football Group' transfer. He was the club record signing. He made 0 Troyes appearances. Loaned to sister club Girona, who qualify for UCL. In the meantime, Troyes suffered back-to-back relegations. Maybe football shouldn't let this happen? https://t.co/Gt4TtRywGi
— Colin Millar (@Millar_Colin) July 18, 2024
Girona’s Situation
The club’s greatest moment was almost taken away from them
With a victory over Barcelona in May, Girona secured their first-ever Champions League qualifying. However, the question of whether Girona could play in the Champions League as a member of City Football Group remained off the pitch, which increased the tension around CFG.
Thankfully, UEFA has now approved both clubs’ eligibility to play in the same competition the next season. Due to UEFA regulations that forbid clubs with the same owners from vying for the same trophy, there was uncertainty for a while.
UEFA has previously made concessions to other owners, including those in charge of Brighton and Aston Villa in recent years, regarding multi-club ownership, so this has happened again. If the rules had been followed, one of the clubs might have had to drop down to the Europa League in order to avoid a conflict of interest.
xz
