Manchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano has emphasised that the club's battle with the Premier League over the 115 charges levelled against them could drag on. Soriano spoke during an unscheduled address at a European Football Clubs board meeting in Denmark on Monday.
The football world was stunned last week by reports that City had been deemed guilty of all but one of the charges facing them, although the former Premier League champions will lodge an appeal against the ruling. Official confirmation is still awaited, but City's chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, issued a statement at the weekend reaffirming the club's confidence in vindicating themselves.
Soriano's defiant tone
Soriano, addressing a gathering which included senior representatives from other Premier League clubs, struck a similarly defiant tone. According to The Athletic, Soriano wished to respond to the reports and emphasised that the club will continue to contest the charges.
"It has taken eight years to reach this point and it will still take much more time," he is believed to have stated. Soriano refused to elaborate when approached by journalists in Copenhagen following the meeting.
Impact on rivals
Those comments may cause more frustration for rivals like Manchester United and Liverpool, who are waiting to see if they will receive past titles if City are stripped of theirs. They face waiting a lot longer for the final decision on City's punishment, if their appeal is unsuccessful. The two clubs are also among those who could separately pursue legal action.
Chairman's statement
Soriano's remarks mirror those of Al Mubarak, who issued a statement at the weekend suggesting City possess "a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence" to assist in their defence.
"I have been part of this Club for 18 years. I have had the privilege to stand with you in the Etihad, at Wembley, and in Istanbul," City's chairman penned in a message which also made reference to prior statements issued by the club.
"This Club matters to me, and you have shown and told me – time and time again - how much Manchester City matters to you.
"This is why I am writing to you today. Following Friday's media reporting, many of you will have spent your evening answering questions and responding to messages from friends, family and colleagues. So have I.
"Here's what I said to my family: The Premier League process still has a long way to run, and our confidence and intent in proving the Club's innocence is just as strong as when this began.
"There are so many things that I would like to be able to share with you to help you understand why we feel so confident in our position.
"But the strict confidentiality of the legal process and our determination to respect it means I cannot do that at the moment. Even this letter underwent several legal checks to make sure it complies. Every word matters and holds true."
