According to Martyn Ziegler, chief sports reporter for The Times, Manchester City CEO Ferran Soriano told executives from other European clubs that Manchester City would defend itself vigorously against the Premier League charges. According to sources present, Soriano stated: "This has been going on for eight years, and it will take a long time to reach a final conclusion".

At a board meeting of the European Club Association in Copenhagen, Soriano said that Manchester City strongly opposed the independent commission's decision and would do everything in its power to overturn it through appeals and potentially legal action.

According to The Times reporter, sources present told him that Soriano addressed the case at the beginning of the board meeting, stating: "It has taken us eight years to get here, and it will take a long time".

Manchester City has been found guilty of breaching the vast majority of the 115 Premier League charges, including all substantive allegations. An independent commission will hold another hearing to decide what sanctions to impose on Manchester City. Meanwhile, other Premier League clubs believe the Premier League should publish the verdict; to date, the Premier League has not published it or commented on it. The Premier League will also submit sanction recommendations to the independent commission, describing what sanctions it believes should be imposed on Manchester City.

Some in football believe that given the severity of the breaches, including Manchester City's lack of cooperation during the lengthy investigation, the Premier League should seek to impose a substantial points deduction, which could even result in Manchester City's relegation.

A three-person independent commission will hold a sanctions hearing to determine what penalties to impose on Manchester City. The hearing is expected to take place in the coming weeks. At the hearing, the Premier League, acting as prosecutor in the case, will be able to propose the sanctions it deems appropriate.

The Premier League thus faces a dilemma. On one hand, it will face pressure to take severe action; on the other hand, it will also realize that if Manchester City is relegated, the Premier League will lose some of its most influential stars, such as Haaland.

Manchester City's lawyers can then present arguments to mitigate the sanctions, and the club is also expected to appeal the guilty verdict. Given that the Premier League recommended a 12-point deduction in November 2023 for Everton's separate breach of profitability and sustainability rules, which ultimately resulted in a 10-point deduction from the independent commission (later reduced to 6 points on appeal), there is a view in English football that, considering the number and severity of Manchester City's breaches, the Premier League should seek to impose a points deduction severe enough to almost certainly result in relegation.

The independent commission could also opt to expel Manchester City from the Premier League. However, if this were done, Manchester City would find itself in an awkward "suspended" state, as the club cannot guarantee it could compete in the English Football League (EFL). In addition to points deductions, the commission could also impose transfer bans and fines on Manchester City.

Manchester City will almost certainly cite the relatively lenient treatment the Premier League and FA previously gave Chelsea, arguing that a significantly different approach to the two clubs would lack consistency.

The charges Manchester City faces include providing inaccurate financial statements, inflating sponsorship revenue, making undisclosed payments to players and staff, and failing to cooperate with investigations.

Chelsea's previous breaches were also serious: during Roman Abramovich's ownership, there were undisclosed payments to agents, intermediaries, and players. However, earlier this year, Chelsea was only fined £10 million by the Premier League, followed by another £10 million fine from the FA.

The Premier League board had previously reached a settlement with Chelsea and concluded that a points deduction was not appropriate given mitigating circumstances, including "extraordinary cooperation". Additionally, Chelsea's two initial transfer bans were suspended for two years.

Chelsea's new owner, BlueCo, reported the breaches to the relevant authorities after discovering them during the club's acquisition in 2022 and provided investigators with hundreds of thousands of documents.

Manchester City cannot use "cooperation with the investigation" as a mitigating factor in sanctions, but the club could argue that since Chelsea ultimately faced only fines, Manchester City should not be subjected to excessively severe penalties.

One of the charges Manchester City faces is failing to disclose full details of former manager Roberto Mancini's compensation between the 2009-10 and 2012-13 seasons. It is alleged that Mancini had two contracts at that time: one with Manchester City and another as a consultant for a sister club under the Abu Dhabi consortium behind Manchester City.

Mancini, 61, is currently Italy's national team manager. He stated on Sunday: "This is not an issue related to me. It is not new either, because this has been discussed for four or five years. Manchester City has not been found guilty, and the so-called dual contract has nothing to do with me. This is their problem, not mine".

A Manchester City spokesman said on Friday: "The Premier League processes are ongoing, with significant stages still to be completed, and the entire process is subject to strict confidentiality requirements. Over the past eight years, the club has diligently complied with due process, based on the understanding that the Premier League's board and leadership would act as independent, impartial, and fair regulators, free from any partisan or vested interests".

During Mancini's tenure, Manchester City won the FA Cup in 2011 and their first top-flight league title in 44 years in 2012.

Traducido por IA.

¡El sitio web de AF ya está disponible! Consulta noticias, comentarios, detalles de partidos y estadísticas en tu ordenador. Visita: www.allfootballapp.com