Clemency!
There would be some great news for Grilled Birds as 2023 comes to an end, with the Hattrick authorities passing judgment on their Financial Fair Play case. In summary, all excess monies received from Rob the Newbies have been confiscated, with the club however allowed to keep
Gústav Thoroddsen and
Evandro La Face, on condition that the transactions were redirected to the club reserves. No further restrictions have been imposed, and the Birds are now free to resume the friendly circuit, after two weeks in the wilderness.
This was about as good a conclusion as the club could have hoped for, according to both their law firm and outside observers. "In the end, it was mostly a slap on the wrist - if with a final warning attached." local legal eagle Raymond Ming Tham asserted. "They could have really thrown the book at Grilled, but they likely took the club's history and prior spotless behaviour into account. Having enough reserves to cover the two big buys under question probably helped too."
Head coach
Tian Yonghang would have his gag order lifted with the end of the ordeal, and he looked slightly haggard - if extremely relieved - after reportedly spending several sleepless nights being questioned by the Hattrick anti-corruption bureau. "Yeah, I have sworn off strange gifts entirely after this." he tried to joke. "It wasn't worth it at all."
"But back to the bright side, we have continued winning despite being under all that stress, the squad remains whole, and we are still top of the table." Tian continued. "We should be - will be - putting this unhappy episode behind us, and look to the future. Without unearned windfalls, I repeat."
