According to English media outlet The Mirror, former Manchester City and Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel has offered his clear opinion on Manchester City's potential punishment, stating that it should not include expulsion from the Premier League.

Peter Schmeichel has suggested four penalties for Manchester City, though he believes relegation should not be among them. Should Manchester City's appeal against the financial rule violations fail, the 62-year-old Manchester United legend hopes to see the team start each of the next five seasons with -25 points, have current ownership forced to sell the club, face a transfer ban, and be fined.

In late September, an independent arbitration panel ruled that all financial charges against Manchester City were substantiated, though Manchester City maintains its innocence. The club appealed the decision earlier this month, with a verdict expected in January of next year.

Although the appeal process is underway, Manchester City may learn of potential sanctions before then, as penalty hearings are also ongoing. Stripping titles and immediate Premier League expulsion would be the harshest punishments, but Schmeichel has proposed four alternatives.

"Of course, I think they should stay in the Premier League. But for the next five years, while they're in the Premier League, they should start each season on -25 points," Schmeichel said following Manchester City's 3-0 victory over Liverpool.

"That would also serve as a constant reminder to all other teams – cheating in the Premier League and deceiving all the other clubs has very serious consequences. I think it's important to implement a five-year transfer ban, along with a massive fine."

"Then, I think the club's owners should be forced to sell the team. I don't think they're fit to run this football club, nor any football club in England."

"Beyond that, I think everyone involved should be banned from football and should no longer be involved in the sport. As for the titles, whether they're stripped or whether they can keep them, I don't think it matters."

Another Manchester United legend, Jaap Stam, held similar views but disagreed with Schmeichel on one point. He said: "I think they should have their titles stripped because those titles were won through cheating."

"But I fully agree with Peter that they should be punished in some way. I think it's very important that the Premier League sets an example for all other teams, showing that this sort of thing must never happen again."

After a lengthy international break, Manchester City returned to action at a hostile Anfield and secured a resounding victory. Haaland, Doku, and Cherki scored in succession during the second half to seal the win, and the game's complexion changed significantly shortly after the 60-minute mark, when Gravenberch received a red card.

Schmeichel said: "It's really difficult to win at Anfield, and we should give them full credit without reservation or hesitation, but you always have something at the back of your mind."

"They performed exceptionally well here at Anfield today. After the red card, they completely controlled the game for the final 20 minutes. They played very hard, and I think players like Donnarumma, Dias, and Ederson put in excellent performances in the first half. Overall, they withstood the pressure."

"But at the end of the match, the feeling is still quite mixed, because you can't help but think: if these guilty verdicts are upheld in January or February of next year, Manchester City won't be what it is now, and the entire Premier League will be under a huge cloud."

Traduzido por IA.

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