Action Images via Reuters/ Jason Cairnduff
Manchester City’s final punishment if they continue to escalate their conflict with the Premier League has now been revealed.
City have launched a “comprehensive appeal against the opinion of the Premier League Commission” after they were found guilty of all charges related to serious breaches of the league’s financial rules.
In a statement released on Friday, City confirmed: “The Club’s firm position is that, on multiple grounds, the opinion contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact and is unsafe.
“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.
“We will continue to respect due process and are necessarily restricted in what we can say further until all proceedings are complete.”
Man City corner flag
Man City corner flag
The independent commission found that City arranged “sham” contracts with various commercial partners as part of a “disguised funding scheme” to artificially inflate the club’s revenue by £830 million.
According to The Telegraph, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is warning British Prime Minister Andy Burnham that it will pull billions of pounds of investment out of the United Kingdom in retaliation for the guilty verdict against Man City.
Action images via Reuters/ John Clifton
Burnham recently sparked a backlash by expressing his concerns that City’s owners may sell up, commenting: "Well, I would be really concerned to lose them. They've been such a huge partner in the building of modern Manchester. Obviously, the building of Manchester City into the global force that it is.
"I can't intervene more in the process. It would be wrong for me to do that. It would be wrong, I think, to jump to a conclusion before having really studied all of the detail, but obviously it's ongoing, and because it's still contested by Manchester City, then I think it's right that I don't say much more."
Pick five details to reveal your retro football icon.
Aggressive Powerhouse Technical Stylish Speedster
Man City's Punishment if Premier League Conflict Continues
Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff
Prominent journalist Duncan Castles, who works for The Sunday Times and Daily Record, posted a tweet which explains the punishment Man City face if the club’s owners continue their conflict with the Premier League. These punishments include:
Expulsion from the League
The EFL declining to grant City admission to any of its divisions
Removal of City owners, directors and executives
It seems Man City are at increasingly serious risk of not only losing their Premier League status, but also being blocked from entering English football’s top four leagues completely, if their appeal ultimately fails.
City’s owners, directors and executives could also be forced to leave, with the club facing the prospect of having to rebuild from non-league.
It would mark a staggering and unprecedented fall from grace for one of world football’s leading football clubs.