Manchester City players have reportedly asked whether they can leave the club if it is expelled from the Premier League, following the guilty verdict on 114 rule breaches. The eight-time champions, who maintain their innocence, have appealed against the decision by an independent commission.
Potential punishments if the appeal fails include being stripped of titles, a points deduction, or expulsion from the league. The latter would cast doubt on the future of the squad, as players such as Erling Haaland would be unlikely to play in the EFL or National League.
Players concerned over bonuses and contracts
Players are also said to be worried about losing bonuses of up to £400,000 for winning the Champions League. According to The Times, once the verdict was announced, players asked their agents about potential punishments, the consequences of missing out on UEFA competition, and whether they could exit their contracts in the event of relegation.
The report adds that there are no relegation clauses in the players' contracts, meaning the club would have to cut costs dramatically and sell off its leading talent.
Maresca backs club ahead of Liverpool trip
Publicly, players have avoided commenting on the verdict. Ahead of Sunday's trip to Liverpool, manager Enzo Maresca said he had 100 per cent trust in the club and expects the appeal to succeed. He said: "The reason why I joined this club is because I completely trust, 100 per cent, the owner, the CEO, the sporting director, the whole organisation. I don't have any doubt about that."
Maresca, who replaced Pep Guardiola in the summer, added: "There is not another club in the world where I would like to be. I am very happy to be here, I am very proud, as I’ve said since day one. I would like to speak about this situation when we are going to win the appeal. I completely trust the club in this moment, in the future, always."
Maresca on potential relegation
Asked if he would follow Guardiola's earlier stance of staying even in League One, Maresca said: "I won the Championship with Leicester. So in case [of] League One, we are going to see, but we are thinking about something that we don’t know. What happens if we win the appeal? I don't know. We are predicting the future. I'm worried about tomorrow, in two days, three days. I don't know what is happening in the future."
He concluded: "It is fair, from my point of view, from all of us, to respect the process. There is an appeal ongoing. We will see what happens."
