The expected outcome in the event Manchester City are found guilty after they were hit with more than 100 charges by the Premier League, has been revealed.
City are alleged to breached the rules over a period of nine seasons between 2009/10 and 2017/18.
It came after a four-year investigation from the Premier League, who are accusing their current champions of not providing the accurate financial information when it comes to club revenue, sponsorship revenue and operating costs.
The story, arguably the biggest in the history of the Premier League, has led to a number of reports on what the possible ramifications might be if City are found guilty by an independent commission.
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And it’s important to note that any verdict is not likely to come anytime soon. The commission will hear both sides and things will remain private and confidential before the decision is shared on the official Premier League website.
However, given the initial investigation was for four years, the process is set to last a lengthy period and it’s even been claimed that Pep Guardiola could leave City before the result is even awarded and any potential sanctions.
In 2020, City had a two-year suspension from European club competitions overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), after UEFA had ruled that the Blues committed “serious breaches” of Financial Fair Play regulations in a four-year period between 2012 and 2016.
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Lord Pannick KC of Blackstone Chambers led City to victory on that occasion and has been brought back into the fold for the latest legal battle.
Pannick, whose fees typically range from range from £5000 to £10,000 per hour, also successfully represented City when they appealed against ex-manager Joe Royle’s payout following his 2001 dismissal.
City, who put out a statement saying they welcome the review, are believed to be confident of clearing their name.
Manchester City ‘expect Pep Guardiola to leave before any punishments’
Manchester City reportedly expect manager Pep Guardiola to have already left the club before any potential punishments for breaching numerous financial rules.
On Monday, the Premier League revealed that the Citizens have been charged with breaking more than 100 financial rules following a four-year investigation.
The charges against the reigning Premier League champions relate to financial information regarding revenue, details of manager and player remuneration within the relevant contracts, UEFA regulations, profitability and sustainability and co-operation with Premier League investigations.
Man City have denied the allegations – which are said to have taken place between 2009-10 and 2017-18 – and have released a statement expressing their ‘surprise’ considering the “irrefutable evidence” in support of their position.
Should the independent commission find Man City guilty of the breaches, they could face unprecedented sanctions such as transfer bans, fines, points deductions or expulsion from the Premier League.
According to The Athletic, via the Daily Mail, members of staff behind the scenes at Man City expect Guardiola to have left the Etihad Stadium before any possible sanctions are levelled against the club.
The report adds that Guardiola was one of the first senior figures at City to be told of the charges by the Premier League before the news was made public on Monday morning.
In February 2020, the Citizens were fined £25m and were handed a two-year Champions League ban by UEFA for “serious breaches” of club licensing and financial fair play regulations between 2012 and 2016.
However, the punishment was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and their fine was reduced to £9m as ‘most of the alleged breaches were either not established or time-barred.’
Guardiola has always stood by City following the allegations, but last season he vowed to resign from his post if he were to discover that club chiefs have ‘lied’ to him about the club’s financial dealings.
“Why did I defend the club and the people? It’s because I work with them. When they are accused of something I ask them: ‘Tell me about that.’ They explain and I believe them,” Guardiola told reporters in May last year as quoted by The Mirror.
“I said to them: ‘If you lie to me, the day after I am not here. I will be out and I will not be your friend any more. I put my faith in you because I believe you 100% from day one and I defend the club because of that.’
“When you put something here [sponsor] it’s overpaid, but other [clubs] the money comes from the USA but the money is correct, even if it’s higher. We have to deal with that, we have to fight with that. As always I am a big fan to support this organisation, no doubt.
“It’s a situation in 2012 or 2013, I was still in Barcelona, most of the people running that are not here now, but of course I would not like it. What I like is to represent a club who do things properly. It’s not about winning the Champions League and the Premier League, we want to do well for our people and our fans.”
Guardiola has won 11 trophies during his successful six-and-a-half-year reign at Man City, lifting four Premier League titles, four EFL Cups, one FA Cup and two Community Shields, while he guided the Citizens to their first-ever Champions League final in 2021.
Man City currently sit second in the Premier League table, five points behind leaders Arsenal who have a game in hand.
Source: sportbible.com; sportsmole.co.uk
