Manchester City’s financial scandal has raised fresh questions about the impact of their past success on rival clubs.
An independent commission recently found City guilty of 114 out of 115 Premier League charges.
Those findings covered financial breaches between 2009 and 2018 and included 34 non-cooperation charges.
City maintain their innocence and have lodged an appeal against the commission’s verdict. However, the findings have prompted former rivals to reconsider events from that period.
Manchester United finished fifth in the Premier League during the 2015–16 campaign. City claimed fourth place and Champions League qualification instead.
Both Manchester clubs finished with 66 points. However, City’s +30 goal difference comfortably surpassed United’s +14.
United then dismissed their manager Louis van Gaal shortly after the season ended, despite winning the FA Cup.
Now, Van Gaal believes Manchester City’s financial breaches played a decisive role in his Manchester United dismissal.
The Dutchman lost his job within 48 hours of United’s 2-1 FA Cup final victory over Crystal Palace.
Van Gaal told The Athletic that missing Champions League qualification was “probably the deciding factor” behind his dismissal. He said:
“For me, at the time, that was probably the deciding factor in my dismissal from Manchester United and all the consequences and suffering this entailed.”
He also believes his time at Old Trafford could have ended differently if the competition had been fair.
Van Gaal spent two seasons in charge of Manchester United before Jose Mourinho replaced him.
The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager cannot change what happened. However, City’s guilty verdict has left him reflecting on the circumstances surrounding his departure.
Potential compensation claims could now become another significant issue if Manchester City lose their appeal.
Clubs that missed Champions League qualification during the relevant period could pursue damages over lost revenue.
Manchester City continue to argue that they possess a comprehensive body of evidence supporting their innocence.
Van Gaal did not demand a specific punishment for his former rivals. Instead, he believes the appropriate sanction should ultimately be determined through the legal process.
For the former United manager, however, City’s financial case has already reopened questions surrounding one of the defining moments of his Old Trafford tenure.
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