Premier League have accused Manchester City’s financial records contained “a number of alleged breaches”, with the exact number clocking to a shocking 100. There were immediately talks of the club being punished, but certain steps must be taken before sanctions are meted out.
Manchester City were subject to a Premier League investigation into its finances for four years until it was revealed in an official statement on February 6 by the league that the club indeed has allegedly broken the law on numerous instances. Manchester City has essentially been charged with obtaining an unfair advantage over rival teams while being a part of the City Football Group. There can be severe penalties for doing it.
Manchester City’s breaches according to the Premier League
Following Manchester City’s £200m takeover by Sheikh Mansour of the Abu Dhabi United Group in 2008, the club has been accused of breaking Premier League rules more than 100 times between 2009 and 2018. They allegedly misled regulators regarding the Premier League’s earnings, including sponsorship money and running expenditures, by failing to submit appropriate financial information to the league.
There are alleged anomalies in the salaries paid to Manchester City’s manager Roberto Mancini between 2009 and 2013, as well as to a number of players between 2010 and 2016. These salaries must be reported to the league. There are also allegations that from 2015 to 2018, Manchester City violated Premier League rules regarding sustainability and profitability.
The investigation’s scope extends beyond domestic activities, as the Premier League found that Manchester City may have violated UEFA Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations between 2013 and 2018. However, the Court of Arbitration for Sport previously overturned a UEFA ban from European competitions. Still, a €10 million fine was imposed. The Premier League said in a statement:
“In accordance with Premier League Rule W.82.1, the Premier League confirms that it has today referred a number of alleged breaches of the Premier League Rules by Manchester City Football Club (Club) to a Commission under Premier League Rule W.3.4.”
Manchester City too released a statement denying all charges slapped on them by the Premier League after their extensive four-year investigation. City said in their defense through the statement:
“Manchester City is surprised by the issuing of these alleged breaches of the Premier League Rules, particularly given the extensive engagement and vast amount of detailed materials that the EPL has been provided with,” the club wrote in response to the allegations.
“The club welcomes the review of this matter by an independent commission, to impartially consider the comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence that exists in support of its position.
“As such we look forward to this matter being put to rest once and for all.”
How will Premier League’s investigation develop now?
The matter is far from over for both the parties as the investigation can now even be dragged for years. The Premier League has sent Manchester City to an impartial panel, which will decide on any sanctions, after they have published their findings. More importantly, unlike with UEFA’s conclusions, the club will not be allowed to challenge that commission’s judgement before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
The 15-member commission, which was chosen by the Premier League’s legal council, will hold closed, private hearings. A judge, an attorney, and a football administrator make up the judicial panel. There is no set deadline for when the panel will decide anything.
Possible punishments including points deduction, relegation
The penalties Manchester City might face if the independent panel decides to take action against the club were not specified in the Premier League report. However, the Premier League regulations already provide a list of acceptable sanctions that independent commissioners may impose for rule infractions.
If the results of the Premier League are confirmed by the commission, practically everything is on the table according to the rulebook. The following sanctions are available in accordance with section W.51.4 of the Premier League’s official rules and regulations:
- A fine of unlimited quantity
- Suspension of a club from playing in league matches, with an unlimited timeframe
- Point deductions
- Replays of past matches
- Permanent expulsion
Therefore, it should be clear why Manchester City apocalypse tales are circulating. In contrast to the UEFA sanctions, which were largely overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, there is no similar external defence offered in this case.
It’s crucial to keep in mind that the commission has been given the aforementioned general leeway, and no one in a position of authority in this particular probe has given any indication of how much, if any, punishment Manchester City will receive. Simply said, it is still too early to predict how the independent panel will rule.
Pep Guardiola’s future at City
There have been rumours that Guardiola’s reign is about to end irrespective of the outcome of the probe. In November last year, he agreed to a two-year contract extension, but this only momentarily allayed concerns that he may leave. The Spaniard had said last month:
“The moment I feel something is wrong, I will resign or not renew my contract. I will not stay as [Sir Alex] Ferguson or [Arsene] Wenger did. The contract is just a piece of paper. I extended my commitment to the club because I feel the team can still do well under my leadership. In the end, it’s all about the results. If we get tired of each other, I’m not going to stay until the end because of the contract.”
He had also confirmed that a black dot in Manchester City’s business transactions might hasten his departure. He had said last year:
“I said to our people ‘tell me’ about the suspicions. I looked at them and believed them 100 per cent from day one so I defended the club because of that.”
What next for City?
The Premier League’s charges will prompt a barrage of inquiries about Guardiola and his group, as well as rumours regarding the manager’s future until he underlines his dedication to the undertaking as the probe moves forward. However, there may be a long period of silence after that while the independent panel deliberates for an unlimited amount of time behind closed doors about how to manage the club.
Manchester City will attempt to overtake Arsenal for the Premier League crown this season while also attempting to win the Champions League for the first time under Guardiola.