Manchester City’s relegation to the Championship for just one season would not be punishment enough in the eyes of several rivals.
According to The Guardian, executives from several Premier League clubs want a penalty that would keep the Citizens out of the top flight longer, following their conviction for more than 100 breaches of financial rules.
“A one-season relegation to the Championship would be insufficient,” a club source told the British outlet, calling for a sanction proportionate to the scale and duration of the offenses identified by the independent commission.
The clubs will, however, have no direct role in the final decision. Manchester City has appealed and continues to deny the Premier League’s accusations. The commission has a wide range of sanctions at its disposal, from points deductions to transfer bans, and even exclusion from the league.
Several top clubs are also closely monitoring the case: Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham, and Liverpool have reserved their right to sue City if the verdict is unfavorable and have reportedly already begun discussing this possibility. According to the report, the appeal process should conclude by the end of January.
Some Premier League Executives Do Not Want Manchester City Out
On Thursday, a report suggested good news for Manchester City. According to Sky Sports, a large majority opposes Manchester City’s exclusion from the top tier of English soccer, for obvious commercial reasons.
Senior executives told the cited outlet they would be “astonished” if 15 clubs voted to ban the Citizens from the Premier League, a decision amounting to a “self-inflicted commercial disaster.”
What Are the Risks for Manchester City?
Only unprecedented action in UEFA’s history could put Manchester City’s Champions League at risk. Different sanctions could indeed occur on the international stage, including a ban from participating in the tournament.
There will also surely be sanctions regarding player purchases in the coming years. If that victory in the European Cup against Inter Milan had occurred before June 30, 2018, the story would be more than different, according to outlets like The Guardian.
Let no one think that Manchester City’s case will be resolved sooner rather than later. Not only is the Independent Commission’s official statement still pending, but so are the club’s actions when it arrives.
As we said, an appeals process is expected that will be long and, given so many possible irregularities, an imminent resolution is not expected, far from it, if we compare it to cases like Everton or Nottingham Forest in recent seasons.
Manchester City’s main problem going forward is not the Champions League. It will be the possible sanctions the Independent Commission may impose in a case without precedent regarding the Premier League’s financial championship.
Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool, Man United Could Sue Manchester City