Football Figures Urge Manchester City Punishment Before Season Ends
Senior football officials call for Manchester City's penalty for Premier League rule breaches to be decided before the season concludes, as the club plans an appeal.
Manchester City's punishment for breaching Premier League rules should be delivered before the end of the current season, according to senior football figures who spoke to BBC Sport. The Premier League announced on Tuesday that City had been found guilty of all charges related to financial regulations between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons, including artificially inflating revenue by more than £900m through so-called sham sponsorship deals.
City have consistently denied wrongdoing and have indicated they will lodge an appeal by the end of this week. The case has already taken three years since the charges were brought, and there are concerns that the process could be prolonged further. One club official, speaking anonymously, said, "It benefits everyone for this to be resolved as quickly as possible," adding that while they instinctively believe it can be, it must be done correctly. Another source expressed hope that any appeal would be compressed.
The final decision rests with an independent commission, with both the Premier League board and City able to propose suitable punishments before the panel rules. There is a growing desire to resolve the matter by the end of the season to avoid uncertainty and potential farce, especially if City were to win the title. Premier League regulations state that an appeal should conclude within 12 weeks of being filed, and a decision should be made within 30 days after that. Procedures can be accelerated to meet deadlines such as the end of a league season.
However, Ferran Soriano, City's chief executive, has suggested the case will run for a long time. While Manchester City cannot appeal further to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, they could potentially claim in the High Court that the process was not impartial. The Premier League's statement, which formally announced the guilty verdicts on Monday, said it wants the process to be concluded as soon as possible.
Image: Getty Images / BBC Sport
