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Topics: Manchester City, Premier League, Football
Marcus Chan
The representatives of Manchester City’s players are reportedly exploring options amid the ongoing hearing into their 115 charges.
On Monday, City’s legal battle with the Premier League over 115 alleged breaches of the competition’s financial rules began.
It has been widely reported that the charges relate to a nine-year period between 2009 and 2018, with City accused of various rule breaches - all of which they have continued to deny.
If City are to be found guilty of the charges, it has been claimed that punishments could include fines, points deductions and even expulsion from the Premier League.
As reported by the Daily Mail, some of the City squad’s representatives have already begun exploring their options due to the ongoing hearing.
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The report stated: “Aware of the impact of such a punishment, agents are trying to cover every eventuality to ensure their players are protected. The future of City's squad will be called into question should the club lose their top-flight status as a result of the ongoing case.
“Agents are keen to hear the club's plans and be informed of the options open to them if the worst-case scenario occurs.”
SPORTbible has contacted Manchester City for comment.
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It is suggested that the proceedings will last around 10 weeks, meaning a verdict will likely be out in 2025.
When asked about the hearing this week, City boss Pep Guardiola said: “All the Premier League teams want us to be sanctioned, that is for sure. But that's why I say to Mr Tebas and the Premier League teams, wait for the independent panel.
“Justice is there in a modern democracy. It's not more complicated than that. I don't know if he is a lawyer or the rest of the Premier League teams are lawyers, so I ask for that. It happened with Uefa. We believe we have not done anything wrong.”
City will be back in Premier League action this weekend when they welcome Arsenal to the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon.