Manchester City could receive a punishment before the end of the season as their Premier League rivals push for sanctions to be imposed quickly.
The club have been found guilty of breaking Premier League financial rules but maintain their innocence. City claim that 'irrefutable' evidence has been overlooked and they have until the end of this week to launch their appeal.
Rivals push for new rules to apply
City's rivals are now pushing for the league to adhere to new rules that would mean that the club's hearing would be concluded no later than 12 weeks after the appeal was filed. New regulations were agreed by Premier League clubs in June.
The timetable for City's hearing would run until Christmas Day under those terms, meaning that an appeal may need to be heard from December 14. After the appeal, the board would then have 30 days to produce a final verdict.
Punishment could come before Easter
Outside of any additional action City take, that would mean it was possible for City's punishment to be introduced before Easter of next year. However, with City's case starting before the introduction of the new regulation, it's uncertain whether they will apply.
Clubs are said to believe it to be 'unacceptable' for the case against Manchester City to continue beyond this season, however.
“As far as we are concerned, the new regulations have to apply,” an anonymous club chief told the Sun. “We have all waited far too long and it is high time that this whole thing came to an end.
“The view of many of the clubs is that it would simply be unacceptable, after all this time, for it to go beyond the end of the season.”
Expert predicts quick resolution
Football Finance expert Kieran Maguire believes rival clubs are likely to get their wish, with the Premier League keen to resolve the situation in time for the end of the season to avoid further complications and complaints.
Maguire told BBC Radio 5 Live: “I think there’s a very high chance it will be resolved because if it isn’t we end up with a situation like that of Burnley and Everton where a club could be relegated, Manchester City are not given a deduction this season and it’s given next season instead and the club which finishes 18th could say had the deduction been applied sooner we would not have been relegated so that adds to the complication.
“Looking at the Premier League’s press release it does seem it is keen for this to be resolved as quickly as possible. If you take at the length of time it took in respect of Forest and Everton, once they had heard the evidence, actually applying the tariff was the quick part of the equation. It is listening to the evidence which is the torturous period which we have had up to now.”
