What sanctions should be imposed on Manchester City, found guilty of numerous financial offenses over nine years? The debate is raging in England, between those calling for extreme severity and those envisioning a simple transfer ban or a fine.
While awaiting the Premier League‘s decision, various English club chief executives are discussing the matter.
And according to Sky Sports, a large majority opposes Manchester City’s exclusion from the top tier of English football, 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.”
Former Manchester City Chairman Expects Relegation Amid FFP Offenses
Amid this situation, former Manchester City chairman David Bernstein believes that financial penalties alone would not be enough if the club was found guilty of the vast majority of the 115 charges related to the Premier League’s financial rules.
He said, “I would first of all say that financial penalties will not be enough. We’re talking about a club with limitless pockets – money doesn’t mean very much as we saw in the last transfer window – and whether it’s (a fine of) £100m, £200m, that would not be sufficient.”
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.
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