Former Liverpool captain Paul Ince has urged the Premier League to make an example of Manchester City, provided their appeal against the original verdict is unsuccessful. The 10-time top-flight champions have been found guilty by an independent commission of all charges related to serious breaches of the league's financial rules over a nine-season period.
City won three Premier League titles during the time they were under investigation, along with one FA Cup and three League Cups. Ince is a more than interested onlooker, having seen his old clubs Liverpool and Manchester United both miss out on championships to the Etihad Stadium outfit between 2009 and 2018.
Ince calls for swift sanctions
Meanwhile, his other former clubs, West Ham United, Middlesbrough and Wolverhampton Wanderers, all suffered relegation from the top-flight at various points over the same period. While Ince wants to hear the outcome of City's appeal before casting judgement, he insists they need to be made to pay the price if the original verdict stands, calling for sanctions to be decided upon as soon as possible.
“It's amazing, isn't it? Everyone's making these assumptions that they could be expelled from the Premier League, they could get a certain number of points deducted every year over a period of seasons,” he told the ECHO, speaking on behalf of Sky Bet. “But no-one's heard Manchester City's appeal yet. Manchester City are still saying they've got a defence.
“It's a guessing game at this moment. But how long is this going to carry on for? Because obviously they're going to put their case to the Premier League, they might come back again, they might appeal that.
Deterrent needed
“It could go on for many months or years. I just want it done and dusted. Make the sanction quick, get on with the season and let's move forward. Whatever the outcome may be, let's try and do it as quickly as we possibly can. If the Premier League are going to kick them out, then it will be at the end of the season.
“I think they're going to get a points deduction, or they're going to get a fine, and a fine's going to be no concern anyway, because they're billionaires. That's not going to matter.
“You think about Manchester City not being in the Premier League (I know that's happened before, many, many years ago), from a commercial point of view, that would be a disaster.
“From a financial point of view, especially for TV broadcasters, that would be a disaster. You'd have 30-odd games that they won't be able to broadcast because Manchester City won't be in the league, so you've got to think about it from that point of view.
“There must be a deterrent, because if the deterrent or the sanction is not big enough, then it won't stop other clubs from doing it.
“But at the end of the day, when you're getting charged on 115 counts, you know you're talking about one of the biggest clubs in the world here.
“They must have done their homework, but it's what Manchester City come back with. What is their defence? Have they got a defence?
“Obviously, they'll have the best lawyers in the business, so I'm more interested to see how they can try and get themselves out of this one.”
City's first match since the bombshell verdict takes place at Anfield on Sunday against Liverpool.
