A shocking relegation to the second tier is not out of the question. Even the Premier League’s (PL) chief executive officer (CEO) is calling for severe punishment.
“CEO Richard Masters has spoken out against the hearing of Manchester City’s 115 charges, which could lead to relegation if found guilty,” the UK’s Sports Bible reported on Thursday.
City are looking to win a record fourth consecutive PL title and a fifth consecutive season. They signed Xavi, who was a revelation in La Liga last season, and managed to keep hold of Kevin De Bruyne, who was linked with a move to Saudi Arabia. They also beat Manchester United in the Community Shield on Tuesday to lift the trophy.
But there’s a key variable. City could be relegated to the second tier, let alone the title, depending on the outcome of a hearing into 115 alleged financial rules violations prosecuted by the PL.
City were charged by the PL in February.
The PL began investigating City’s breaches of Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules in 2018 and found 115 charges. The PL secretariat’s position is that City breached the PL rules on profitability and sustainability (PSR), as well as UEFA regulations.
In December of last year, City’s hearing date was set for September 2024. The main allegations are inflated financial reporting and lack of cooperation with a PL investigation that began in 2018. Of course, City denied all the allegations and claimed to have “irrefutable evidence” to support their innocence, 사설 토토사이트 but that didn’t stop the hearing itself.
The 10-week hearing is now a month away. The UK’s Daily Mail reports, “The hearing into City’s 115 alleged breaches of PL financial rules will finally begin next month. PL could hear the outcome as early as January next year.”
City were already punished by UEFA in 2020 with a two-year ban from UEFA-organized competitions for breaching FFP rules. However, the club escaped punishment when the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) overturned the conviction due to lack of evidence. Nevertheless, the PL is pressing charges once again.
The Masters CEO emphasized the need to tie up loose ends for the benefit of the league.
“It’s time for the case to be resolved,” he told the BBC, adding, ”This has been going on for years, and I think it’s a clear case that needs to be heard and answered.”
Masters added: “The case will be heard and a conclusion will be announced. We’ll answer all the questions they want to hear in the process,” Masters said, adding, ”It’s an important issue. (Legal disputes) create uncertainty and frustration.”
He added: “There is no alternative to enforcing the rules that everyone agreed to. They looked each other in the eye, shook hands, and said, ‘We’re going to honor these rules. So PL has to enforce them,” he said, adding, ”No matter what challenges or setbacks arise, it’s all part of protecting PL’s competitiveness and core values.”
With the CEO speaking out, it’s hard to imagine City escaping heavy penalties if found guilty. City will have to defend against 54 counts of failing to provide accurate information, 14 counts of failing to provide details of player and manager salaries, seven counts of breaching the PSR, five counts of failing to comply with UEFA regulations, and 35 counts of failing to cooperate with PL investigations since 2018.
The charges span 14 seasons, dating back to the 2009-2010 season.
There’s also the possibility of relegation, which would be a record punishment. According to the Daily Mail, “The most severe punishment is relegation. “The investigation began in 2018 when ‘Spiegel’ released the Football Leaks documents. City were accused of siphoning money from the owners through a United Arab Emirates sponsor.”
In fact, Everton and Nottingham Forest were both punished with point deductions for FFP violations last season. Everton were deducted a whopping eight points, while Nottingham lost four. City’s fate will be revealed as early as next January.
Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola has previously complained that everyone is looking for guilt. “We are innocent until proven guilty,” he said last December. I know people want (City to be punished). Pep can feel it. I will wait,” he said, adding: ”I will not consider my future whether City remain in the PL or Ligue 1 (the third tier). I have a better chance of staying when we are in Ligue 1 than when we are in the UEFA Champions League.”