Premier League club executives reportedly want Manchester City expelled from England's top flight following the guilty verdict regarding their financial breaches. The league confirmed that an independent commission found that during a period between 2009-10 and 2017-18, the club arranged so-called 'sham contracts'.
The breaches involved disguising secret funding of over £830million to 'artificially inflate the club's revenues and reduce its costs'. City are expected to appeal the decision, while any potential sanctions will be decided at a later date by the independent commission.
Potential punishments range from transfer bans to expulsion
Potential punishments range from transfer bans, fines, points deductions, or even expulsion from the Premier League. In practice, expulsion would be considered a worst-case scenario for City, as it wouldn't provide them with a clear route back into the Premier League.
According to The Telegraph, some rival executives in the Premier League are pushing for this to take place. It would also mean the EFL aren't duty-bound to accept City, which could threaten the existence of the club.
City vow to appeal the commission's decision
City have doubled down on their stance and intend to appeal the decision. A statement on the club's website read: "Manchester City FC is both disappointed and surprised by the opinion of the Premier League Commission, that has been published today.
"The club is innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League and a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all of its positions, relating to this case. The Club will therefore be relentless, and where necessary proactive, in any and all appropriate regulatory and legal forums."
Adding: "The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements uncompleted. Manchester City FC will now pursue the appeal avenues open to it, on the basis that the opinion contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact, and is unsafe.
"The club has diligently respected due process for eight years on the basis that the Premier League Board and Executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair-minded regulator, free from partisan influence. The club is obviously restricted in what it can say further until all future proceedings are complete."
Premier League chief says decision is 'most significant in history'
Richard Masters, Chief Executive of the Premier League, said: "The core decision establishes the facts of what happened at Manchester City during this period. It details how the club systematically broke Premier League Rules for nearly a decade.
"It also vindicates the Premier League's decision to pursue this case against Manchester City. While the process to date has been both long and difficult, the League has remained determined that the facts be established independently.
"It is a key responsibility of the Premier League to ensure that the Rules, approved by the clubs themselves, are upheld to protect the integrity of the competition. It is paramount that the League remains competitive and fair for all clubs and for the fans. We take that role extremely seriously.
"This disciplinary case, and this decision, are the most significant in Premier League history. There are elements of the case that remain to be decided, including, importantly, what sanction must follow for these breaches. Now we have the Commission's decision, we are committed to moving swiftly through the remainder of the process, to provide certainty for the League, our clubs and fans."
