'We've been to Rotterdam, Monaco, Napoli and Rome, but we'll be playing Rotherham at home, Rotherham at home...' Manchester City fans have responded with customary black humour to the crisis facing their club.
City face more 100 charges of allegedly breaching financial rules. And if found guilty the Premier League has the power to impose potentially huge sanctions, including fines, point deductions, suspension, relegation or even expulsion from the competition.
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In its breadth and scale the four year investigation is unprecedented in the English game. But the Premier League champions have come out fighting, saying they were 'surprised' by the accusations adding they 'welcome' the review of the alleged rule breaches and 'look forward to this matter being put to rest once and for all'.
But this also has the potential to be much more than a football issue. Perhaps more so than any other club in recent years, City's success on the pitch has been closely tied with developments off it.
Owners the Abu Dhabi United Group have ploughed hundreds of millions of pounds into east Manchester, helping to transform what was once one of the most deprived area in Western Europe. Any potential punishment is a long way off yet, but could a suspension or expulsion raise the prospect of the owners losing interest or reducing their investment?
And what would relegation, the loss of the big European mid-week games, and the drop in attendances that would almost surely follow mean for local businesses that rely on match-day trade?
"There are concerns and there is a lot of confusion," said local councillor Majid Dar. "It's probably the most developed area of Manchester over the last 20 years. No other ward has had that level of development and investment.
"Ancoats wouldn't be Ancoats if it wasn't for this club. They've brought hundreds of jobs, millions and millions of pounds into the area.
"We want this relationship to continue. It would be a major, major blow if anything did happen that affected that."
The modern transformation of east Manchester began with the 2002 Commonwealth Games. It's come to be regarded as a turning point in Manchester's history, building on the regeneration kickstarted by the 1996 IRA bomb by bringing back to life deprived districts and regenerating vast parts of the city.
It saw the construction of several state-of-the art sporting facilities in east Manchester - including the velodrome, tennis centre and the City of Manchester Stadium, which following the game became Manchester City's new home.
Without that, it's hard to imagine the Abu Dhabi takeover and the billions of pounds of investment that followed, catapulting City to the highest echelons of world football. But nowhere saw the impact more than the estates around what would come to be known as Eastlands. Since 2002, more than 10,000 new homes have been built in the wider area and its population has doubled.
'It's transformed into a place people want to live'
New businesses, schools, a college, a leisure centre and a Metrolink line have also brought jobs and opportunities. The new £365m Co-op Live arena, due to open in December, is the latest high profile development.
Kaleem Ahmed has run corner shop Sweet City in Beswick for 30 years. In that time he's seen the area transform from a 'a crime-ridden, forgotten part of Manchester' to a 'place people want to live'.
And he's confident the Premier League's investigation won't affect the ongoing regeneration. "CTID (City till I die), that's what they say isn't it?' he said.
"I think the owners are committed. I don't think they'd pull out, whatever happens. They have brought so much joy to City fans.
"Just to be in this position, 20 years ago City fans would have said you were dreaming. It's great."
And Kaleem is confident the supporters will stand by their club. "It won't make a difference to City fans. They were in a lower division before and still packed out the stadium.
"So I don't think it will make any difference at all to businesses in the area.
"It would be sad [if City were heavily punished], but I can't see it happening. We'll just have to see how it all pans out."
'City fans are loyal through and through'
Chris Booth has been the landlord of the Grove Inn on Ashton New Road in Clayton for two years, and has worked behind the bar there for the last decade. He says match days help keep the pub afloat.
"They'll be 200-300 people in here on a matchday, the rest of the time we're lucky if there's two," said Chris, who grew up in nearby Openshaw. "Without matchdays we'd struggle.
"But City fans are loyal through and through. This pub has always been rammed with fans.
"The club generates so much money for this area. But they've also been ruthless in some ways - they wanted to build something over there and just bought everybody out - that's what I mean by ruthless.
"But on the other hand the area has got a lot better since they've been here. It used to be known as a derelict village, now it's an area people want to come to."
'I'm concerned if they get relegated, but I'm concerned just about staying open to be honest'
Another local businessman, who runs a takeaway close to the ground, admitted he was worried about the prospect of sanctions on the club, but said he had more immediate problems to face. "I'm concerned if they get relegated, but I'm concerned just about staying open to be honest," he said.
"Match days help, but they don't keep the doors open. If people can't afford to heat their homes they can't afford a takeaway."
Michelle Gallagher and Catherine Rogers run the A City United Café on Ashton New Road. "It is concerning and it would be really sad if they were punished," said Catherine.
"It's not the players' fault and it's not the fans' fault. It would be a shame if they lost the big games and the fan marches and all that.
"We don't get that much trade from match-days, but for the pubs and the chippies - they're queuing out of the door at the chippy across the road on match-days - it must be worrying."
Manchester City has been approached for comment.
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