Those are phrases heard by this column in recent months â€" from a prominent player and a leading club official â€" amid simmering unrest about an explosive issue, which is seen by many as cheating on a par with use of illegal substances. This week’s revelations that investigations into alleged breaches have been suspended after a deal was struck by the leading clubs have re-opened raw wounds.Sportsmail has learned that certain clubs under suspicion threatened to go to the European Courts to legally challenge the legitimacy of the salary cap and potentially sue the competition’s organisers â€" and even their own rivals. This, along with a threat to block the agreement of a new TV deal led to those clubs wishing to expose sharp practice being bullied into line.
It is understood that a shareholders meeting late last month was beset by acrimonious exchanges between the faction deemed to be sweeping the matter under the carpet and the larger group striving to ensure that abuse of the cap was suitably punished. Yet, with the threats of legal action and a block on all significant business requiring a majority vote, the up-shot was that any wrong-doing is now unlikely to ever come to light.
This has become farcical. It is no way to run a sport â€" an administrative and governance approach which amounts to eyes being closed and fingers being shoved in ears. See no evil, hear no evil. There may soon be a move to end the secrecy surrounding this thorny issue. Not before time.
