Manchester City News 24/7Writer: Lincolnsmariner 
Date:Wednesday May 25 2011
Time: 7:22PM
UK time is: 03:55:13
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What Does Third Really Mean?
City fans around the world will be lauding the Blues` dramatic clinching of third place and an automatic Champions League spot. It`s not just the dangerous qualifier that we avoided, but the chance to bring in players early doors through the knowledge that we are securely in the group stages.
While this is a perfectly reasonable train of thought, it is not the quality of players that City will now be able to bring in that is the important factor here, but the sponsorship deals.
The negotiation platform that City now find themselves in is vastly superior to the one had we finished fourth. Sponsors that might well have deemed the risk to be too high due to our potential exit in the qualifier will now be joining the queue to put their high profile brand on our high profile club.
By now, pretty much every fan is well acquainted with the new Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations; the ones that were designed to keep the top clubs at the top and the bottom ones at the bottom. Not really 'fair play` at all then.
With losses of around £110m last year, a Champions League spot was vital this season as it would bring in around £30m just by being in it. Add to that the commercial opportunities and match day revenue and we are looking at a figure of around £50m.
That still leaves us with a shortfall of £60m, a void likely to be filled by the stadium naming rights and player sales. Any remaining money is likely to be reinvested into the squad in an effort to topple United from the summit of the Premier League.
As it stands, this model in not entirely sustainable as we have a vast wage bill to cover every year and won`t be offloading as many players. What it does do, is buy us enough time for the Eastlands redevelopment to come into fruition.
With revenue coming in from a host of commercial ventures, as well as increased sponsorship, a lower wage bill and the all important Champions League money, City are well set to face the FFP regulations head on.
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Your Comments
If you think you can balance the books by selling players and naming rights for your stadium, you've been breathing in too much of that Moss Side air. Having said that, you could threaten to call it the Giggsy **** Palace, and you might get a shed load of money not to. Pip pip.
lordjohnny
It means we are now dining at Europe's top table and it is our turn to reap the benefits that have been monopolised by 4 clubs in the Premier League for far too long. Man City have no need at all for concern regarding these impending FFP rules as they are well on course to achieving, and perhaps even surpassing the requirements needed to comply with the rules. Good article Eighth.
Bluedub
3rd means you're the 2nd loser is all.
TheFamousNo7
""3rd means you're the 2nd loser is all.""
Your sig shows you are a James MIlner fan so why are you coming out with comments like this???
Doody
Nice one Doody - PMSL! Does anyone think that a businessman who has amassed a £500billion fortune (and manages it extremely well) could be caught out by a regulation as clear and obvious as FFP? Do me a favour! I think perrhaps it might be just about time for all our jealous rivals and worried neighbours to STFU about the whole issue - IT AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN.
fifthcolumnblue
Third (technically 2nd same points as Chelsea) means we are on the right track.
adtilson
It means you'll be competing with the best teams in Europe to garner a respectable CL finish (at least QF), all the while fighting Arsenal, Liverpool & Spurs to maintain your top-4 position in the PL. To fail at either would be considered unacceptable and surely lead to a managerial change, thus throwing the club into Chelsea-esque chaos. That's all. No pressure there, right?
Teddy_KGB
We made 55m from Premier League TV revenue alone this season, add Champions League to that and we should be raking TV money in. Never seen so many of our games televised as this season, in fact from the entire season there was only one game inaccessible to City fans on TV/internet, West Brom in the Carling Cup when we practically played our youth team. Once the redevelopment of land around the stadium takes place and income begins to generate from that, all that will count too.
StuMCFC
Excellent article. Some rags are still deludely clinging to the old arrogant smugness but it's fading fast in many Home Counties strongholds. The Glazers are being panicked into piling on more debt for Taggarts last cash splash. City finishing level points with second place is nothing far short of a horror story for the swamp to stomach. For us, guaranteed group stage football is manna from heaven.
Johnny Baguette
i've been a man city for for god knows how many years, i've been to the likes of port vale and wallsall away and to be playing in the champs league next season is mind blowing. i could not care less what fans from other teams are saying about city, for me they can sit back on a tuesday and wednesday nights watching the blues make there assault against the best teams in the world and have a *****. i simply DO NOT GIVE A MONKEYS.
future-champs
Well said future-champs and welcome to Vital City mate.
bluedub
City earned was it 180m last year we paid out 130m in wages etc, now add the 50m (70m if we do well) champs league money and more sponsors and higher league finish aswell as better demestic cup runs to that origianl 180m and it becomes upto 250m-270m now couple that with getting some wages off the bill will mean city pay out less than 50% of there turnover! - FFP we can pass it without looking!
mark.mcfc
Wouldn't it be fun if Nited fans came on here and posted something witty and intelligent so that we could return some banter but, sadly, they are incapable. They are too thick to see reality and when it hits them in the face, they start wanting to fight and show you how tough they are. (Picking on families with children at Wembley)
BlueMancunian
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