Silhouette of a persons head in a image with the Etihad stadium in the background.
Manchester City have reportedly been found guilty on 114 of the 115 Premier League financial charges brought against them, covering breaches allegedly committed between 2009 and 2018. The club, which has consistently and strenuously denied wrongdoing, are expected to appeal the decision, meaning the process is far from over.
News of the verdict broke on Friday and has since triggered widespread debate across the game over what an appropriate sanction might look like, whether trophies or points could be affected, and how clubs who competed against City should respond, with some already conducting assessments and starting legal work to try and see if they are entitled to compensation.
With so much success accumulated by City in the years in question, the ruling has reopened old wounds for rivals who came up short against them. Reaction from managers and players who were directly affected has now started to filter through, with a former Premier League boss among the first to put their feelings across.
Pulis: 'It's Left A Very Sour Taste'
stoke city tony pulis
Writing in a column for BBC Sport, Pulis said he has been fielding questions from Stoke City supporters asking when they might finally get 'their' FA Cup, referring to the 2011 final, in which his Stoke side lost 1-0 to Manchester City at Wembley.
It was one of City's first major trophies of the modern ownership era and effectively opened the door to over a decade of dominance.
Pulis admitted: "Taking my Stoke side to the 2011 FA Cup final was one of the highlights — if not THE highlight — of my 50 years in football as a player and a manager.
At the time, the disappointment of defeat was softened by the fact that Stoke had lost to a star-studded side under an elite coach in Roberto Mancini. But now, the perspective has shifted following the charges, and Pulis describes the situation as leaving "a very sour taste" in his mouth.
However, Pulis was careful to stress that he doesn't expect to receive the trophy 15 years later. He said: "I don't expect Manchester City to phone the club or me and offer back the FA Cup and the winners' medals their players received. I don't seriously believe any other trophies and titles will be handed back over either. A points deduction and a massive fine feel far more likely.
Pep Guardiola holding up six fingers whilst stood next to the Premier League trophy.
Pep Guardiola holding up six fingers whilst stood next to the Premier League trophy.
What Happens Next?
Action images via reuters/ Jason Cairnduff
Attention will now turn to two separate questions: what sanction the Premier League imposes, and how City's anticipated appeal might delay or alter that outcome. Given the scale of the case, the biggest of its kind in Premier League history, few expect a punishment that satisfies every club affected, particularly with so many title races and cup competitions touched by City's run of success across the period now in question.
City's hierarchy has so far struck a defiant tone, with chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak addressing supporters directly following the reports. With an appeal expected and legal options reportedly being considered by other clubs, this story looks set to run for some time yet, with Pulis's intervention likely to be the first of several from those who feel their own history has been affected.