Man City's Premier League relegation might NOT be worst case scenario if found guilty
Manchester City could face more than just an expulsion from the Premier League if they are convicted of breaking financial fair play regulations.
Labelled the 'Trial of the Century', City will take on the Premier League in court over claims involving 115 alleged breaches of FFP. The club is under scrutiny for reportedly failing to give accurate financial details for a nine-year stretch starting in 2009 and for not co-operating with ensuing probes.
Having denied any wrongdoing, Manchester City has assembled a top-notch legal squad to mount their defence, with outcomes not anticipated until early 2025. City could face ejection from the Premier League if the league are successful. Yet the consequences of a guilty verdict might be even more severe, threatening their participation in major competitions such as the Champions League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup, and Club World Cup. According to The Telegraph, these are all at stake if the Premier League clinches its case against City.
The report highlights a specific aspect, clause 31, within the FA Cup regulations, which outlines: "Where a club has been admitted to participate in the competition but is then removed from the league in which it competes (or its league fixtures are suspended), the Professional Game Board [PGB] may remove the club from the competition."
The composition of the PGB, which includes representatives from both the Premier League and English Football League, could lead to further sanctions. If they were to be removed from domestic competitions, it might set off a chain reaction affecting European contests as well.
Manchester City remain optimistic about being cleared of the allegations, which involve providing inaccurate financial details. They assert possession of a "comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence" in their defence.
"It starts soon and hopefully finishes soon," commented Pep Guardiola last Friday. "An independent panel will decide. I'm looking forward to the decision. I'm happy it starts on Monday and I know there will be more rumours about the sentences that come up and we're going to see."
City's chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak is eager to dispel the doubts cast over the club's recent successes, including four back-to-back Premier League victories and a remarkable treble in the 2022/23 season. "Of course, it's frustrating," he expressed earlier in the summer.
"The referencing is always frustrating. Having it being talked about the way it's being talked about. I can feel for our fanbase, and everyone associated with the club, to have these charges constantly referenced.
"We as a club have to respect that there is a process that we have to go through, and we're going through it. It's taking longer than what anyone hoped for, but it is what it is, and I've always repeated, let's be judged by the facts, and not by claims and counterclaims."