07 February 2023 , 15:21
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Premier League clubs are said to favour relegation for Manchester City amid fears a fine would not be sufficient punishment for the 101 breaches of financial rules of which they are accused.
City have been accused by the Premier League of multiple breaches of financial fair play rules, with the offences alleged to have taken place between 2009 and 2018. The findings have been referred to an independent commission, and City could face a range of punishments including relegation.
That is the preference of their top-flight rivals, as a potentially time-consuming process begins. City themselves have welcomed the input of the independent commission while expressing their surprise at the news.
According to Sky Sports, City's Premier League rivals are happy to stay out of the upcoming process and let the commission do what it needs to do. City's fellow members of the big six were reportedly among those pushing the hardest for repercussions.
A number of options are available to the Premier League if the breaches are upheld. However, other clubs are understood to favour a relegation over the stripping of previously won titles at one extreme and a fine at another.
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While a potential relegation or expulsion has its supporters, it could carry complications of its own. There is no guarantee the EFL would accept them if that is the case, and no requirement for them to do so.
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Manchester City won several trophies in the affected period, including the 2013-14 Premier League title (Getty Images)Back in 2020, Manchester City were hit with UEFA separate punishments in relation to financial fair play. However, after an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, something which is not an option for the latest charges, a fine was decreased and a ban from European competitions was reversed.
"That [inability to appeal to CAS] would make this case stronger," former UEFA chief investigator Yves Leterne said after the more recent Premier League charges were brought. "And then there is another element: the scope of the complaint is now broader than that at UEFA. Both in time and in substance.
"Especially because the Premier League does not have to adhere to the same strict limitation periods as we do. We encountered a period of 5 years, which meant that we could not use important elements."
Leterme claimed the arbitration committee was a factor in the end result: "The problem, however, was that UEFA's ruling could be contested with an arbitration committee, which does not fall under the real judiciary," he said. "Those arbitrators are always drawn from 10 to 12 of the same people and can reduce the sentence because they consider it too severe."