Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Manchester City, Pep Guardiola, Premier League, Champions League
Josh Lawless
Topics: Manchester City, Pep Guardiola, Premier League, Champions League
A financial expert has revealed the massive punishment could be facing if they are found guilty of multiple breaches of Premier League financial rules.
City are accused of breaching financial regulations over an extended period and after being charged with 115 breaches by the Premier League, a hearing began in September and concluded last month.
A date for the verdict has not been confirmed but the outcome, decided by a three-man panel, is expected to be announced in the early part of 2025.
The charges, which City strenuously deny, primarily relate to a nine-year period from 2009 to 2018, and is likely to result in a massive, unprecedented punishment if they are found guilty.
The possibility of a huge fine, a points deduction or even relegation but financial expert Kieran Maguire has shed new light on the situation.
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Maguire explained what City are being accused of and believes, if found guilty, the Blues could be deducted as many as 100 points given recent punishments handed to Everton and Nottingham Forest for "minor breaches".
That would almost definitely relegate City, who have been in the top flight since 2002.
"In the case of City, there's actually three charges," Maguire said on The Overlap Fan Debate, brought to you by Sky Bet.
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"It's not 115. Has money come in from the owners which they pretend to be from the sponsors? If that is the case, then that is fraud. That is about as serious as it gets.
"And, if found guilty of those charges, then the book will be thrown at Manchester City and it's going to be a massive points deduction.
"You can't relegate them because the Premier League and the EFL are independent bodies, so the EFL doesn't have to accept them. Given the Everton and the Forest points deductions, they were both described by the commission of being 'minor breaches'. Well, what Manchester City are being accused of is major breaches over a 9-10 year period. "So, you would be looking at somewhere between 60 and 100 points if you go through on a charge by charge basis. So, it would relegate them.
"The paying people off-book, it happens in football. I know a number of players and ex-players who are working for the owners' company and also on a wage at the club. We've got history of players' mothers being paid hundreds of thousands of pounds to be an academy scout in order for the player to have a slightly better deal and so on. Football is quite creative in those rules.
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'"And the third charge, which I think City will find difficult to defend, will be non-cooperation with the Premier League's investigation. Having said that, if my wife looks at my internet history, I'm in trouble! It shouldn't be done. You shouldn't be relying on hacked emails, and that's City's defence."
Both parties are very likely to launch an appeal against the verdict, which would delay proceedings even further. However, Maguire thinks there are "very narrow grounds for appeal" from a City perspective.
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He added: "It's only if the conduct of the committee itself was unprofessional in some way that one of the parties can potentially make an appeal.
"If Manchester City are found guilty then the whole board of directors has to resign because they will have been found guilty of misrepresentation, effectively lying to a commission."
Despite the situation, Pep Guardiola has committed his future to the club and signed a new two-year deal. He has gone on record to say that he will not "consider his future" and will stay put at the Etihad Stadium even if City found themselves in League One.