According to Sam Lee of The Athletic, despite reports that an independent commission has ruled against Manchester City on the majority of the 115 alleged financial regulation breaches brought by the Premier League, Manchester City's position remains unchanged. The club's leadership continues to believe the case is far from final resolution and is confident in its position at the appeal stage.

On Monday, Manchester City CEO Ferran Soriano raised this matter at a board meeting of the Association of European Clubs in Copenhagen. Three days earlier, The Athletic reported that the independent commission reviewing the case had found Manchester City guilty on the majority of charges, though an official verdict had not yet been announced.

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

Earlier, Manchester City chair Khaldoon Al Mubarak also published an open letter to supporters. He wrote: "While some have rushed to pass judgment, and amidst the noise and chatter around us, nothing has changed."

"We have faced challenges together and overcome them. Many still want to disrupt our club's momentum, and we will not allow that to happen."

The Athletic noted that Manchester City currently faces a grave situation. Following these reports, external discussions have begun regarding possible sanctions, including relegation or even expulsion from the English professional football system. Meanwhile, legal teams at some Premier League clubs are reportedly exploring whether they can seek compensation for past revenue losses. However, specific sanctions have not yet been determined.

When the case began in 2023, Manchester City stated it welcomed the opportunity to clarify the facts and claimed it possessed "a comprehensive array of irrefutable evidence." Now, following the independent commission's reportedly unfavorable decision, the focus turns to what steps Manchester City might take next.

The report indicates that Manchester City's firm stance extends beyond public statements alone. Sources revealed that after the relevant reports were published last Friday, Manchester City executives held a phone call that evening and assured senior staff members that the case is far from over and the club remains confident in its position when challenging the conviction.

Due to strict confidentiality agreements binding both Manchester City and the Premier League until an official verdict is announced, very few club insiders have been fully informed of the case's progress over the past several years. Currently, Manchester City has not even informed all staff at its Manchester office and other subsidiary clubs worldwide of the situation.

Sources also stated that there is anger within Manchester City over the leak of such significant information about the case at this stage. The report suggests that if Manchester City argues during the appeal process that the previous proceedings were conducted unfairly, this leak could become part of their argumentation.

Al Mubarak also specifically asked fans in his open letter to carefully read Manchester City's previous statements: "I urge you all to carefully read the statement we released last Friday and the statement we released in February 2023. Every word in those statements was and remains important."

Manchester City told The Athletic last Friday: "The club has always fully cooperated with the process, based on unwavering faith in the impartiality of the Premier League Board and executive, and in the integrity of the regulatory system."

In 2023, regarding the evidence they possessed, Manchester City also stated it welcomed the independent commission's review and emphasized that the hearing should be conducted "fairly."

The Athletic's analysis suggests Manchester City clearly disputes whether the proceedings were sufficiently fair.

The report also draws comparisons to UEFA's 2020 case, when Manchester City was banned from the Champions League for two seasons over alleged financial fair play violations. The news sparked enormous discussion, with speculation about potential departures of key Manchester City players and whether the club could return to the top of European football.

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

Rodri, Manchester City's former captain and current Barcelona player, also recalled that experience. He said: "If I'm not mistaken, we went through almost the same process in 2020. Back then the club always told us to stay calm, saying that we would ultimately be vindicated, that we had done nothing wrong, and the club indeed was not found guilty... I hope this time we can achieve a fair outcome."

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

However, The Athletic emphasizes that the current case does not entirely mirror the 2020 case. Then, Manchester City did not fully cooperate with UEFA's investigation, as the club believed the relevant procedures could not guarantee fairness, and therefore presented evidence only upon appeal to CAS.

This time is different. Manchester City had the opportunity to present the "comprehensive array of irrefutable evidence" it previously claimed to possess to the independent commission responsible for the case, but based on the results disclosed so far, this evidence did not prevent the commission from finding the majority of charges proven. Therefore, even if the case goes to a new appeals committee, overturning the original decision appears extremely difficult.

Nevertheless, the message currently being conveyed within Manchester City remains consistent.

The report indicates that if Manchester City continues with its appeal but the appeals committee ultimately finds the club guilty of violations, Manchester City will face an extremely serious situation, and Al Mubarak and Manchester City's leadership will also have to answer a series of difficult questions.

And if Manchester City ultimately overturns the decision through appeal, the Premier League and its leadership will also face intense scrutiny and could provoke further discord throughout English football.

The Athletic concludes that Manchester City's current situation is undoubtedly very precarious, and the gravity of events cannot be underestimated. But at least for now, the club's internal position remains consistent with the past.

The message conveyed by Soriano is also clear: this case, which has spanned many years, is far from its true conclusion.

Переведено ИИ.

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