Former Newcastle United co-owner Amanda Staveley, who brokered Sheikh Mansour's Manchester City purchase, is hoping City and the Premier League "make a resolution" when it comes to a potential punishment for the club.
Last Tuesday, the Premier League confirmed that City had been found guilty of all charges relating to breaches of its financial regulations between 2009/10 and 2017/18. They said that City artificially inflated revenue by more than £900million through 'sham' sponsorship deals.
City deny wrongdoing and appeal
City, however, have denied any wrongdoing and appealed the decision on Thursday. In a statement, the club said they are "innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League" and have "a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence" to support their case.
Delivering her verdict on the guilty verdict, Staveley, who brokered Mansour's highly-controversial and now-severely-tainted takeover of City in 2008, believes the Premier League should "focus on the future".
Staveley calls for focus on the future
Speaking at Leaders at Stamford Bridge, ex-Newcastle director Staveley said: "We have such an exciting league. Football in Europe is potentially the most watched sport in the world and we should really nurture this asset.
"We should nurture our fans and we should do everything we can to try and make a resolution to the issues that exist today. And I hope that somebody with probably more negotiating abilities [than me] comes in and resolves that issue. And I think it will get resolved."
She added: "I think the Premier League had a difficult thing, an opportunity. But you've got to also try to put yourself in the executives' [at the EPL] position. You've got 20 clubs and half of them are shouting at you to do one thing; the rest of the ten clubs are shouting at you to do another.
"So, as an executive, you're always pulled; you're always being threatened to be sued by one club. And you're meant to actually be co-owners of one league. So, to navigate all of that is really tough."
Staveley's Newcastle legacy
Staveley, 53, helped spearhead Newcastle United's takeover back in 2021 as she, alongside the Saudi Public Investment Fund and the Reuben family, agreed a deal that saw previous owner Mike Ashley sell the club.
The financier was seen as the face of the early operation and was at the helm when Newcastle reached the Carabao Cup final and qualified for the Champions League in 2023, before she left the club in the summer of 2024.
