Manchester City have been found guilty of the majority of charges the Premier League made against them and ex-Liverpool star Jamie Carragher has questioned whether the owners can continue with the club
Jamie Carragher
Jamie Carragher has told Manchester City to release their evidence(Image: Sky Sports)
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Jamie Carragher does not believe Manchester City's ownership can survive the verdict finding them guilty of breaking Premier League rules and has called on them to release the 'irrefutable' evidence that they claim proves their innocence.
City were found guilty of all charges related to serious breaches of Premier League financial rules and the majority that related to failure to cooperate with the division's investigation, having had 115 charges levied against them. Liverpool's rivals plan to appeal and have suggested that their evidence has been ignored.
Ex-Liverpool defender Carragher does not see a way that City can now escape punishment and believes that the club will be stained so long as the current ownership remains in charge.
"I just don't see how the ownership can continue after what has happened here and the way they are actually reacting to it," he told Sky Sports.
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"How can they be surprised, and that they have got irrefutable evidence? Where is it? Put it out there, surely.
"If you have irrefutable evidence of something and you are getting charged by the police, you hand it to them because you want this over with as quickly as possible. City have almost dragged this on, kicking the can down the road."
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"The club are going to get punished," he continued. "For me, this is all about the owners. I don't know how the owners can continue in English football.
"We talk about the fit and proper test for owners, what they have done over ten years now in the Premier League and this stain that will be there for the next ten years about 'did they win it really, was that fair?'
"This all starts with Manchester City and it starts because they do not like the word 'no'. When the rules came in, it's in the emails: 'We can do what we want'.
"And when you see the statements in the last couple of days, the one from Sorriano last night, it actually beggars belief what you are watching and hearing here.
"Until they move away from the club, I don't know how this stain is ever removed from the club."
Manchester City have made it clear they plan to appeal the Independent Commission's decision, and intend to be 'relentless' in challenging the verdict in any way they can.
Their statement said: "Manchester City FC is both disappointed and surprised by the opinion of the Premier League Commission, that has been published today.
"The Club is innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League and a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all of its positions, relating to this case. The Club will therefore be relentless, and where necessary proactive, in any and all appropriate regulatory and legal forums.
"The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements uncompleted. Manchester City FC will now pursue the appeal avenues open to it, on the basis that the opinion contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact, and is unsafe.
"The Club has diligently respected due process for eight years on the basis that the Premier League Board and Executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair-minded regulator, free from partisan influence.
"The Club is obviously restricted in what it can say further until all future proceedings are complete."