According to Sam Lee of The Athletic, despite reports that the independent commission found Manchester City guilty on the majority of the 115 financial misconduct charges brought by the Premier League, Manchester City's stance remains unchanged. The club's executives still believe the case is far from its final resolution and are confident in their position during the appeal phase.

On Monday, local time, Manchester City CEO Ferran Soriano addressed the matter during a European Club Board meeting in Copenhagen. Three days earlier, The Athletic reported that the independent commission overseeing the case had found Manchester City guilty on the majority of the charges, although a formal verdict has yet to be released.

According to sources present, Soriano said at the end of the meeting: "It took eight years to get to this point, and it will take much longer still." He disagreed with the independent commission's decision and expressed confidence that Manchester City will prevail.

Earlier, Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak also published an open letter to club supporters. He wrote: "While some have rushed to their conclusions, and there are many voices around us, nothing has changed."

"We have faced challenges together in the past and ultimately overcome them. There are still many who wish to disrupt our club's momentum, and we will not give them that opportunity."

The Athletic noted that Manchester City currently faces an extremely serious situation. Following the news, discussions began about possible penalties, including relegation or even expulsion from the English professional football system. Meanwhile, legal teams from some Premier League clubs are also exploring whether they can seek compensation for past revenue losses. However, specific penalties have not yet been determined.

When the case began in 2023, Manchester City stated that it welcomed the opportunity to clarify the facts and claimed to possess "an extensive body of irrefutable evidence." Now, after the independent commission allegedly issued an unfavorable decision, focus has turned to the next steps Manchester City may take.

The report indicates that Manchester City's firm stance extends beyond public statements. Sources revealed that after the relevant report was published last Friday, Manchester City executives made a call that evening and assured certain senior team members that the case was still far from over and that the club remained confident in its position on appealing the guilty verdict.

Due to strict confidentiality agreements binding both Manchester City and the Premier League before a formal decision is announced, only a very limited number of people within the club have been following the case's progress over the past years. Currently, Manchester City has not even informed its entire staff at its Manchester office and other sister clubs around the world about the situation.

Sources also stated that Manchester City is frustrated with the leak of such a significant case development at this stage. The report suggests that if Manchester City argues during the appeal process that previous procedures were not conducted fairly, this leak could become part of the record supporting its argument.

Al Mubarak also specifically asked supporters in his open letter to carefully read Manchester City's previous statements: "I encourage everyone to read carefully the statement we issued last Friday and the statement we issued in February 2023. Every word matters, and they remain as true today as they were then."

Manchester City told The Athletic last Friday: "The Club has consistently respected due process over eight years, based on the belief that the Premier League Board and Executive would act as an independent, impartial and fair regulator, free from any biased influence."

In 2023, when referring to the evidence it possessed, Manchester City also stated that it welcomed a review of the case by an independent commission and emphasized that procedures should be conducted "fairly."

The Athletic's analysis suggests that Manchester City clearly contests whether the case procedures were sufficiently fair.

The report also drew parallels to Manchester City's 2020 UEFA case, when the club was banned from the Champions League for two seasons by UEFA for alleged Financial Fair Play violations. The news caused enormous shock at the time, with discussions even circulating about the possible departure of key Manchester City players and whether the club could return to the peak of European football.

At that time, Manchester City also expressed strong confidence publicly and internally, and ultimately the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned UEFA's ban on Manchester City's participation in European competitions.

Manchester City's former captain Rodri, now playing for Barcelona, also recalled that experience. He said: "If I remember correctly, we went through an almost identical process in 2020. At that time, the club always told us to stay calm, saying we would ultimately be cleared, that we had done nothing wrong, and then the club really wasn't found guilty... I hope this time we also reach a fair outcome."

"But I believe the club is innocent. I know this club very well. Back then, they told us to stay calm, everything was done the right way."

However, The Athletic emphasized that the current case is not entirely the same as 2020. At that time, Manchester City did not fully cooperate with UEFA's investigation because the club believed the relevant procedures could not guarantee impartiality, and therefore did not submit relevant evidence until appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

This time, the situation is different. Manchester City had the opportunity to present the "extensive body of irrefutable evidence" it claimed to possess to the independent commission handling the case. However, based on the results currently disclosed, that evidence did not prevent the commission from finding the majority of the charges proven. Therefore, even if the case goes to a new appeals commission, overturning the original decision appears extremely difficult.

However, the message being transmitted internally at Manchester City remains unchanged.

The report notes that if Manchester City continues to appeal but is ultimately found guilty by the appeals commission, the club will face an extremely serious situation, and Al Mubarak and Manchester City's management will also have to answer a series of important questions.

And if Manchester City ultimately overturns the decision through an appeal, then the Premier League and its management will also face serious scrutiny and could trigger further controversy across English football.

The Athletic concluded that Manchester City's current situation is undoubtedly extremely precarious, and the gravity of the events should not be underestimated. But, at least for now, the club's internal stance remains consistent with the past.

Soriano's message is also clear: this case, which has dragged on for years, is still far from its true conclusion.

Traduzido por IA.

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