MANCHESTER CITY
Manchester City could face Champions League ban due to financial case
‘The Telegraph’ has revealed that the potential punishment for Manchester City could also see them affected in Europe.
The so-called “trial of the century” in English soccer, widely regarded as one of the most significant in the sport’s history, may have a grim outcome for Manchester City.
The final verdict from the independent commission won’t be revealed until early 2025, following the conclusion of the 10-week hearing that began in London on Monday. Manchester City continue to assert their innocence in response to the 115 to 130 charges brought against the club by the Premier League for alleged financial irregularities.
City. ‘in danger of being thrown out of more than just the Premier League’
English clubs, along with Javier Tebas himself, are predicting severe penalties for Manchester City, which could range from fines and points deductions to expulsion from competitions and the stripping of titles. “Manchester City is a member of the association and has committed irregularities, so it should face the appropriate sanctions. Otherwise, the integrity of the competition is at risk,” said LaLiga president Javier Tebas in an interview with GiveMeSport. One of these potential sanctions could severely impact the club’s future.
According to an exclusive report by The Telegraph, “Manchester City are in danger of being thrown out of more than just the Premier League if they are found guilty of serious breaches of its financial rules. It can be revealed that City would be at risk of being expelled from both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, and there is no certainty they would be able to continue to play in the Champions League or at the Club World Cup either.”
As lawyer Borja García explained on Cadena SER’s El Larguero, the Premier League club “would be expelled from the competition, not relegated to a lower division.” Other domestic competitions could follow suit as well.
The Telegraph adds that FA Cup regulations, under Clause 31, state that “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.”
While UEFA and FIFA rules are more complex, five of the charges against Manchester City involve breaches of UEFA’s Financial Fair Play regulations between 2013 and 2018. If Manchester City is banned from domestic competitions, it may find it difficult to continue competing in the Champions League and the Club World Cup due to the long intervals between matches. It’s hard to imagine the club emerging unscathed from such serious accusations, and if most of the charges are upheld, the consequences could be dire.