Online Reporter
The Etihad giants are staring at an uncertain future after being found guilty by an independent panel on virtually all of the 130 Premier League charges for financial rule breaches.
City insist they are innocent and will fight hard with appeals against the verdicts.
But the possible ramifications remain unclear.
There have been various punishments proposed including being hit with a massive fine and stripped of their three Prem titles during the 2009 to 2018 investigation period.
Another option would be a gigantic points deduction which essentially guarantees the club’s relegation to the Championship.
However, the Premier League could decide to push for complete expulsion from the top flight.
That, though, could get very complicated.
Ejected from the Prem, Man City would have to apply for membership to the EFL.
It would then be up to the EFL to decide whether to place City in the Championship, League One or League Two – or reject their applicaton entirely.
The latter option is highly unlikely but still a possibility.
And should it happen, City’s next resort would be to apply to join the National League in the fifth tier. A points deduction would mean City know they are likely to drop just one division into the Championship.
Whereas expulsion leaves them at the hands of the EFL to determine which league they are placed into. Also, a points deduction would ultimately keep the season during which the punishment finally lands ‘live’ and active for City, even if relegation is inevitable.
However, expulsion – if delivered mid-season – could cause logistical chaos with the club unable to fulfil its fixtures against Prem opponents and left in limbo waiting for the next campaign to begin.
City chief executive Ferran Soriano told a room of European club football bosses in Copenhagen that his club have been fighting for eight years – and will not stop anytime soon.
Soriano made an unexpected speech to address the impending guilty verdict at the summit.
According to sources who were present at the meeting, Soriano said he wanted to make it clear that he disagreed with the ruling of the commission, and that he and City were confident of eventually winning their battle.
The Spaniard then added: “It’s taken eight years to get there – and it’s going to take a lot more time.”
It was a signal of City’s continued insistence that the allegations they faced were groundless, despite the commission findings.
City are understood to believe the verdict could be published within days, although it is not expected to come in the next 48 hours.
The Etihad club feel that they are hamstrung by the confidentiality agreements in place, preventing them from stating their case and addressing aspects of the decision with which they profoundly disagree.
City chief remain utterly convinced that they will eventually be vindicated, with Soriano’s comments indicative of that stance.
But his warning about the elongated timescale would hint that, as far as City are concerned, there is no appetite whatsoever for a line to be drawn under the proceedings unless they are cleared of all the charges –Sun.
