Is Manchester City's Voice in Europe Finally Being Heard?

Manchester City can be forgiven for feeling somewhat hard done by on the European scene in recent seasons. Consistently difficult draws in the Champions League, as well as the fines and other sanctions placed on them by UEFA for the high levels of investment into their team, have left a bitter taste in the mouths of the top brass inside the Etihad.

But is the tide finally turning? There have been a number of developments this week that suggest maybe City’s case is being heard.

Take the alterations to UEFA’s seeding system, announced earlier this week and set to come into action from next season, as outlined by the Guardian.

Whereas City were placed into Pot 2 for this season's draw despite winning the Premier League last May, Arsenal were inexplicably placed in Pot 1 after finishing fourth.

However, from next season the winners of Europe’s seven strongest leagues will automatically go into Pot 1, alongside the reigning European champions. The rest of the pots will be determined by the current coefficient system.

Francisco Seco/Associated Press

Just how helpful that will ultimately turn out to be for City’s cause remains to be seen. The chances of a “Group of Death” scenario still appear quite high, given, for example, Real Madrid and Barcelona will now have to be in separate pots whereas before they were always considered top seeds, but UEFA’s willingness to bend on an issue sparked by City’s complaints represents progress.

City, it seems, are being listened to.

And now UEFA’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations, which prevent sides like City making a loss, are coming under increasing scrutiny, according to Frank Dalleres writing in City A.M.

Jean-Louis Dupont, one of the lawyers responsible for the introduction of the landmark Bosman ruling, has asked the Court of First Instance in Brussels to intervene on UEFA’s plans to step up the stringency their regulations.

UEFA plan to limit club losses even further, moving from the current €45 million over two years to €30 million losses over three, but Dupont hopes to challenge the ruling. Dupont has already questioned the general principle of FFP and is still hopeful his initial legal challenge will see the regulations deemed illegal under European law.

The news comes with officials from Europe’s leading clubs set to meet UEFA next week to discuss alterations to the current FFP system, according to Ben Rumsby at the Telegraph. It is believed clubs are keen to see measures introduced, which limit long-term debt.

Manchester United, for example, are currently sailing through FFP sanctions because they make a profit in each financial year, yet their huge debts, accrued when the Glazer family borrowed to purchase the club, don’t contravene FFP rules.

In other words, FFP seeks to sanction sides who invest heavily in their playing staff, rather than those who accumulate substantial debts over a longer period. Cash-rich owners who bankroll clubs but do so without plunging the club into debt are, in the eyes of many, being unfairly punished.

Alex Livesey/Getty Images

It seems absurd that the Glazers, by FFP’s standards, are deemed acceptable owners, while City, who don’t pay a single penny in servicing debt and are in a far stronger financial position than they ever were prior to the ADUG takeover in 2008, are being sanctioned for overspending.

FFP, it would appear, is less about improving the financial landscape of European football, and more about protecting the interests of a group of elite clubs whose consistent success in Europe makes them fearful of new clubs on the rise.

It remains unclear just how successful Dupont’s challenge will be and what level of concessions UEFA are willing to make in the meantime, but it’s becoming increasingly obvious that City, for so long viewed by Europe’s governing body with suspicion, are finally having their case heard.

Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and will be following the club from a Manchester base throughout the 2014-15 season. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter: @RobPollard.