Liverpool will be among the clubs keenly watching Manchester City's situation unfold, as the club was recently given a guilty verdict for the Premier League charges brought against it.
Arne Slot, Manager of Liverpool, looks on prior to the Emirates FA Cup Quarter Final match between Manchester City and Liverpool
Arne Slot previously joked about Manchester City's situation(Image: (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images))
Former Liverpool boss Arne Slot may have unwittingly predicted the outcome of Manchester City's case with the Premier League, after making a joke during his time at Anfield.
It follows the club being given a guilty verdict during its legal challenge with the Premier League, after it was charged with 115 alleged breaches of the division's rules.
Those breaches included allegations of failing to report accurate financial information, potential breaches of financial rules as a result, and a lack of co-operation in the investigation process the preceded the charges.
After an independent panel looked at the case for nearly two years, a guilty verdict on all but one charge was officially announced earlier this week, following reports of an outcome last week. Man City denies any wrongdoing, and is set to appeal the decision, before any sanctions can be applied.
Should the club fail in the appeal process, then a sanctions panel will be formed independent of the Premier League to make a decision on an outcome that would fit the overall verdict.
In the current rules, the punishment could be anything from just a fine to points deductions, expulsion from the league, or the stripping of previous titles.
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It's unclear exactly what could be decided, but the severity of the case puts Man City at risk of dropping out of the Premier League one way or another, which was something that Slot previously joked about in a prediction that now looks rather timely.
Speaking in December 2024, after Mohamed Salah suggested that an upcoming game with Man City could be his last against them at Anfield, the manager referred to the charges. He said: "Maybe Mo knows more about the 115 acquisitions [charges] that are done, so he expects them not to be in the Premier League next season.
Former Liverpool head coach Arne Slot.
Former Liverpool head coach Arne Slot.(Image: Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
"This is not the place for me to speak about Mo's contract. Maybe I've said too much already about the joke I've just made. So that will probably get the headlines, but it was a joke, I repeat it was a joke."
While it was a joke to take away some of the focus on Salah's contract situation at the time, which eventually resulted in an extension, it may well have been prophetic.
In his two seasons in charge, Slot took on Man City and Pep Guardiola five times across all competitions, with a mixed record that reads two wins and three defeats.
The Dutch coach managed to break the spell of Premier League triumphs by the side during his time at Anfield, winning the title in his first season, before the dramatic fall-off in the second campaign and his eventual exit.
It remains to be seen what will follow for both Slot in his career and Man City in its case against the Premier League, with the former potentially predicting the eventual outcome.