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A PREMIER LEAGUE club executive has suggested that Manchester City will receive a “substantial” points deduction if they are found guilty of 115 Financial Fair Play breaches.
An independent disciplinary commission will begin deliberating on the 115 financial charges facing City next month, with a verdict expected early next year.
ReutersThe reigning Prem champions have been charged with allegedly breaching the League’s financial rules, with some cases dating back 15 years.
However, club officials continue to deny any wrongdoing.
The potential punishments Man City could face if they are found guilty include points deductions, fines or even relegation.
According to The Athletic, one Premier League club executive has suggested they could be docked up to 80 points.
They said: “The collective view I’ve heard is that an appropriate sanction would have to be a points deduction so substantial — we are talking here between 70 and 80 points — that it guarantees City a season in the Championship.”
Prem chief executive Richard Masters recently admitted that City’s legal case must be resolved as quickly as possible for the good of the league.
He said: “It’s been going on for a number of years and it is time now for the case to resolve itself.
“It does matter. It creates uncertainty and frustration.
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Champions or Relegation? What will happen to Man City?
WITH the new Premier League season just around the corner, the question is who can stop Manchester City winning a fifth straight title?
City will be favourites of course – yet there is one elephant in the room that threatens to put the skids under the Etihad giants.
Sunsport’s MARTIN LIPTON discusses what the next few months could hold with Head of Sport SHAUN CUSTIS.
Custis: So the big question – will there be a resolution this season?
Lipton: Yes…. probably! We know the case will start to be dealt with in October or November.
It will take at least a month to go through the evidence. So I suspect around March, April time, we will get a result. But that’s where it starts to get tricky.
If the result is in City’s favour, that’s the end of the matter. They will be cleared. They will have no punishment to face.
But if City are found guilty, these will be the heaviest penalties ever imposed by the Premier League.
I suspect if they are found guilty, they will be expelled from the league or given a massive points deduction and a huge fine so that they’re not in the Premier League next season.
But of course, City, having spent this much money on lawyers to get to this point, are not just going to say, ‘OK, fair cop, that’s all right’ and take their punishment. They will appeal – but obviously that will take months.
If you look at Everton last year and Nottingham Forest, those point deductions were put in place pending an appeal.
The new season officially starts at the summer meeting in July when the 20 clubs gather. And if City aren’t there, they can’t play.
So unless the tribunal puts in a suspension of the penalty pending an appeal, City will not be able to be in the Premier League next year, even if they subsequently win their case. So it’s a bit messy even then.
“But there is no alternative to enforcing the rules, which everyone agreed.
“They have looked each other in the eye and shaken each other’s hand and said, ‘We will abide by these rules’. So the Premier League has to enforce them.
“Whatever difficulty or frustration that creates is part of protecting the Premier League’s competition, its core values.”
There are also outstanding cases involving Leicester and Everton, while Chelsea are being investigated over possible breaches under Roman Abramovich.
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