The fallout from Manchester City's Premier League verdict continues to extend beyond clubs, and could now interest individuals such as former Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal.
The story of the non-compliance of the Cityzens with the financial guardrails of the league and the gravity of their non-compliance remains the dominant headline in the world of sports.
A journalist has urged Dutch tactician Van Gaal to also seek redress by reaching out to an attorney to initiate legal proceedings against City.
He has been advised by Sjoerd Mossou to seek financial compensation for his May 2016 sacking due to the role played by Manchester City in the decision to sack him at Old Trafford.
What Is The Connection Between Manchester City and Louis van Gaal?
Writing his column in today's print edition of Algemeen Dagblad (via Sport Witness), Sjoerd Mossou argued that City’s confirmed guilt on all 115 Premier League charges and their alleged “sham” arrangements to dodge financial rules - underpinned a decade of dominance that included finishing fourth in 2015/16 on goal difference while United finished fifth.
Their league finish resulted in their missing the Champions League despite Van Gaal winning the FA Cup, and he was soon relieved of his job.
City's manager in the 2015-16 season, Manuel Pellegrini, was also asked to leave the club at the end of the season, with Pep Guardiola taking charge of the club from the 2016-17 season.
According to the analysts in the case, Manchester City claimed fourth place in the 2015-16 season as a result of a distortion to the sporting outcome caused by their systemic financial infractions.
This event caused individual harm to managers whose employment hinged on being able to finish in a Champions League spot, such as Van Gaal. As a result, he has been advised to take legal action and get some sort of compensation.
The 2015-16 Top Four Battle: The Direct Trigger for Van Gaal's Sacking
The 2015-16 season is fondly remembered as the season in which Leicester City upset the odds and did the unthinkable by winning the Premier League title.
A bit lower in the standings, there was a keen battle for top four involving both Manchester clubs, and it went down to the final day of the season.
City went into the final day two points above the Red Devils with a crucial goal difference of +30. This meant that they only needed to avoid defeat at Swansea City, who had nothing left to play for, as they were assured of a bottom-half finish without being in a relegation scrap.
The game at Swansea's Liberty Stadium ended 1-1, while Van Gaal's Manchester United defeated AFC Bournemouth 3-1 at Old Trafford.
Both sides were tied on 66 points, but Pellegrini's team took fourth place strictly via a superior goal difference (+30 compared to United's +14).
The result condemned United to the UEFA Europa League for the 2016-17 season, leading the club to part ways with Van Gaal and appoint Jose Mourinho.
The argument in Van Gaal's favour is that had financial regulations been strictly enforced or complied with at the time, Manchester United would have legitimately secured fourth place.
This would have prevented the sacking of the Dutchman, allowing him to see out the final year of his contract while earning substantial performance bonuses, such as for reaching the Champions League.
