Wednesday, February 8, 2023 – English Premier League clubs want Manchester City football club to be kicked out of the league if they are found guilty of breaking financial rules over nine seasons, according to a report by Sky Sports.
The Etihad club have been referred by the Premier League to an independent commission for over 100 alleged breaches of financial regulations across a nine year span, as well as the five more recent years for failing to aid their initial investigation.
The breaches essentially accuse the club of dodging financial fair play, inflating sponsorship deals and paying inappropriate amounts to both players and managers, with the majority of the breaches ‘in particular with respect to its revenue (including sponsorship revenue), its related parties and its operating costs’
During that time, the club won the Premier League on three occasions, as well as three Carabao Cups and an FA Cup trophy
According to the report, the clubs who had been pressing hardest for action against City were some other members of the so-called ‘big six’ – which includes Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham.
The Premier League’s most severe punishment in these circumstances would be to expel City and it has been reported that the English Football League would be under no obligation to accept them, the report added.
Should they be found guilty, there are a wide range of punishments on offer, ranging from a simple fine to points deduction, having their trophies won during that period stripped from them and even being kicked out of the Premier League.
And, according to reports, it is the latter that most clubs are pushing for, with plenty of the opinion that retro-actively taking away titles already celebrated would have little effect.
‘Many Premier League clubs want Manchester City to be kicked out of the division if they are found guilty of breaking rules over nine seasons,’ Sky sports report.
However, they add, ‘Premier League clubs do not want to get involved in the process, which is in the hands of an independent commission.’
It is believed that it could take years for a decision to be made, with Manchester City ready to ‘robustly’ defend themselves over the charges.
Manchester City have reportedly asked a popular UK lawyer, Lord Pannick KC to defend them after allegations of financial breaches
He also defended them in their UEFA FFP appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in 2020.
The report by The Lawyer, an o line legal publication claims Pannick charges up to $80,000 a day for his services, which is about the same as City’s highest-paid player – Kevin De Bruyne – is said to earn.