Punish Manchester City this season, say other club chiefs
Manchester City's punishment for breaching Premier League rules should be handed down before the end of this season, senior football figures have told BBC Sport.
Senior football authorities have called for Manchester City to be punished this season over breaching Premier League financial rules, according to BBC Sport. The governing body confirmed on Tuesday that the champions were guilty of all charges related to financial regulations breaches from 2009-10 to 2017-18, including artificially inflating revenue with 'sham' sponsorship deals worth over £900 million.
City have denied wrongdoing and intend to appeal by week's end. Concerns have arisen that the drawn-out process could drag on indefinitely. However, senior club figures insist the case can be concluded by the end of the current season. One anonymous source said, "It benefits everyone for this to be resolved as quickly as possible."
They added, "We can all see what the risks are if it’s not. But those risks have been there throughout the process." The final decision rests with an independent commission, with the Premier League board and City able to propose a punishment beforehand. The club's chief executive, Ferran Soriano, has suggested the case may run for an extended period.
City's primary sponsor, Etihad Airways, is contemplating legal action against the Premier League, arguing it has been unfairly implicated despite not being named in the findings. The airline insists it "categorically rejects" any suggestion of wrongdoing, calling the communication of findings "damaging."
Written by urgent.news from MyJoyOnline Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
