City fans’ resentment of UEFA runs deep, with a litany of controversies with Europe’s best footballer.
In 2012, “Portu” was fined, external Almost £17,000 by UEFA after City complained to the governing body over racial abuse of striker Mario Balotelli.
In the same season, “City” was also fined, external Around £24,000 for being a minute late to the pitch for the second half of the game against Sporting.
In 2014, UEFA fined City £49m for breaching Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules and restricted their squad for the Champions League.
Six years later, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) overturned City’s two-year ban from European club competition and cleared them of “disguising capital funds as sponsorship contributions” – with UEFA initially ruling that City committed “serious breaches” of FFP rules between 2012 and 2016.
Wilson adds: “City fans generally feel like there’s a conspiracy against them, like the playing of the UEFA anthem. Rightly or wrongly, there’s a sense of being targeted.
“City fans don’t like the matches we play!”
The city and their supporters are currently in limbo as they await the outcome of the appeal and any potential sanctions.
The side have won all seven league games so far at the top of the table and that 100% record will be put to the test with a tough trip to Aston Villa on Saturday (Kick-off 12:30 BST).
Nick Clarke is the interim chairman of The Citizens Trust, a member-run Manchester City supporters’ union that was set up earlier this year as “potentially the biggest issue affecting City fans in the club’s history” emerges.
Although it’s a “difficult time”, the fans are “totally behind the team” and he says his job is to hear their opinions amid the outside noise.
“Saturday’s anthem was completely organic,” Clarke said. “The bananas in Liverpool were a fan-led initiative coordinated by the 1894 atmosphere team, who did a great job of handing them out before the game.
“While there are fans who argue about what is happening with the club, there is still a common feeling among the majority. [of City fans] Regulating the Premier League itself and how it is run is not fit for purpose.”
Whatever the outcome of the appeal, City fans will continue to make their feelings known before kick-off.