According to a report from British media outlet The Mirror, Acun Ilicali, owner of Hull City, commented on the Premier League's accusations against Manchester City, stating that if Manchester City truly violated football's financial rules, such actions would be "the same as taking drugs and winning an Olympic medal".

On Friday, following news that an independent commission was set to uphold 114 of the 115 charges against Manchester City, Ilicali became the first Premier League club owner to publicly express his views on the matter.

Ilicali stated that if Manchester City's appeal against the decision fails, the punishment should be severe enough to deter other clubs from similar actions, for the good of football.

Speaking on the "1904 Club" podcast, Ilicali said: "The Manchester City chairman says they are innocent. I won't say whether they are guilty or innocent because they claim innocence, while the Premier League believes otherwise. If they truly have breached the rules, then I believe it's no different from taking drugs and winning an Olympic medal. At the end of the day, it's financial doping. Spending enormous sums to bring in four or five top players while breaking the rules. From that perspective, it's not something positive."

Ilicali's Hull City was previously penalized by the English Football League (EFL) in 2025 for failing to pay other clubs on time and was subject to a transfer embargo across three transfer windows, though one of these restrictions was later suspended.

Given that his own club has faced penalties, Ilicali hopes that if Manchester City is ultimately found guilty and the decision is upheld after their appeal, they receive a punishment severe and proportionate to the gravity of the breach.

Ilicali commented: "As a club owner, I shouldn't say too much about this because I don't know all the details and wasn't personally involved. Personally, I can only speak generally: if there is unfair conduct in football, it must be punished."

"If only a light punishment is applied, then everyone will do the same. For the future of football and to keep it clean going forward, if something like this really happened, it must be punished, and people shouldn't be allowed to continue doing similar things."

"I accept the natural financial disparities in football. For us, we won't have the budget of a team in the top six or ten of the Premier League, but we respect that."

"There's already a large enough financial gap between us and them due to the revenue these clubs normally generate. Please don't create an even larger gap through additional funds, making that distance even greater. The revenue these teams normally receive is already enough to create a disparity."

"If there is any wrongdoing, then it's not a minor mistake like 'I made an error, and then I can appeal'. If something like this really happened, that kind of action gives certain teams a huge and unfair advantage."

Traduzido por IA.

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