Pressure is already starting to build on the Etihad Stadium bigwigs.
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The Man City owners have been told to sell up (Image: Getty)
Manchester City’s owners have been told to pack up and leave following a guilty verdict on the club’s finances. City were found guilty of all charges related to serious breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules over a nine-season period by an independent commission, as well as charges in relation to its failure to co-operate with the investigation. City have appealed the independent commission's decision, with the club’s hierarchy adamant they are innocent and remain committed to clearing their name. But if the appeal falls on deaf ears, the consequences could be devastating for the 2023 European champions.
One of the most likely outcomes would be relegation from the Premier League. The exact method this happens would be significant, given a hefty points deduction would guarantee City a spot in the Championship, while expulsion would not.
There are also suggestions that a transfer ban could be on the cards, while a big fine has been mooted as well. Then there’s the question of whether the ownership’s position is untenable.
In the wake of the guilty verdict, there have been calls for the powers that be to force City’s owners to sell. The North West outfit were taken over by Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG), led by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan in 2008.
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Man City returned to action with a win over Liverpool (Image: Getty)
And in a poll conducted by Express Sport, a whopping 82 per cent of voters said yes, the owners should be forced to sell up and leave. There was some opposition to this, with 16 per cent of voters saying they’re okay to stick around, while two per cent were left undecided.
In the meantime, City will continue to play matches, having resumed after the international break with a thumping 3-0 win away to Liverpool. Speaking after the win, Enzo Maresca said: “My message to the players since we were together three days ago, when they all came back from their national teams, has been quite clear: guys, the noise will always be there so it’s about how we learn to deal with the noise and it’s our duty to make our noise. Our noise is to win games in the way we did today and to be happy. It was our fans making the noise at the end of the game today.”