Stefan Borson, Manchester City's former financial advisor, has warned that the club could be in "very serious trouble" after being found guilty of charges brought against them by the Premier League. Borson also claims that a "severe" punishment could be on the horizon if City's appeal is unsuccessful.
It emerged on Friday that City had been found guilty of all but one of the 115 charges that the Premier League brought against them, with the club expected to lodge an appeal on the verdict. There will now be a wait for City to discover the full extent of the punishment that could be handed to them, with ramifications ranging from points deductions all the way up to expulsion from the Premier League altogether.
Borson warns of 'all hell' breaking loose
Borson has since offered his assessment of what sanctions could be imposed on City, pending an appeal, warning that "trouble" lies ahead for the club. "Anything is possible and all hell is now going to break loose, as this is going to go on for weeks and weeks and weeks," Borson told talkSPORT.
"It is going to be very hard for City to say anything or to contain the fallout from this scenario and that is without being able to see what is in this decision. We will almost certainly soon see the decision of the independent commission laid out in great detail, it will give people huge ammunition to attack those individuals and the club."
Appeal on facts 'highly unlikely to succeed'
Borson also addressed the likelihood of City succeeding with an appeal, and why a "severe" punishment could be forthcoming. "An appeal on the facts is highly unlikely to succeed," Borson said. "Where we are now with City being found guilty of more or less everything, the decision itself will be scathing in terms of the club's conduct, the conduct of individuals, the behaviour of individuals and the hearing itself in terms of their credibility. There won't be any hiding place when that decision is published."
"To then have to present that to an appeal that does not have the benefit of listening to the whole case all over again, in terms of witness evidence, seeing all the documentation again, it is going to be extremely difficult for City to overturn those factual findings."
City's punishment 'will be severe'
Borson suggested that City's hinted challenge to the process itself is unlikely to succeed. "City have hinted in the last paragraph of their statement, I think their suggestion is that the process and panel itself was in some way partial and biased and that they will in some way challenge the length of time it has taken for the decision to come out."
"All of those sorts of arguments, be it bias or something procedural, all of them are very unlikely to succeed. Overturning factual findings I would say is very, very unlikely. Ultimately, now I think City will have to take their punishment and it will be severe."
