'The snowball is growing against City: "Relegating them to the Second Division would not be enough"'
Executives from several Premier clubs admit they are going all out. Today City appeals a sanction expected for December-January
'N othing like standing united against the cheat. In England, at least, they are clear about it and are all joining forces against City, guilty of more than a hundred financial breaches, inflating their budget for almost a decade with fictitious sponsors, since the money came directly from the new owners from Abu Dhabi, in breach of Premier League rules... and in the process affecting many rivals' league positions, income by finishing place, bonuses for players, etc.'
The commission must impose a punishment proportionate to years of continued and deliberate cheating, while also providing a strong incentive to ensure it does not happen again
As "Sky Sports" already revealed yesterday, several Premier League players have contacted lawyers over possible claims against City, for bonuses they have not been paid, either for not having won a title or for not having qualified for a competition as a result of what happened.
Another prestigious outlet such as "The Guardian" also reports that several executives from clubs rival to City do not think that "relegating City to the Championship for one season" would be enough, that is, the English Second Division, and that they are going to put heavy pressure on the Premier for the matter to be much more severe.
Many clubs are demanding a much more severe sanction for City, given the commission's conclusion that they had breached the Premier League's and UEFA's spending limits in several seasons.
Furthermore, they will push for the entire process to be concluded before the end of the season. Despite being part of the Premier, the Clubs will not be able to vote on the sanction; instead, this will be done by an also independent council made up of the chairwoman, Alison Brittain, the chief executive, Richard Masters, and three independent non-executive directors: Mai Fyfield, Dharmash Mistry and Matthew Ryder KC.
"The commission must impose a punishment proportionate to years of continued and deliberate cheating , while also providing a strong incentive to ensure it does not happen again," says a source from a major club quoted by the "Guardian".
The commission has several sanctions available , including points deductions, transfer bans and expulsion from the championship. Given the seriousness of City's breaches, according to the independent committee, there are no comparable precedents. Likewise, according to the British newspaper, the Premier is in a difficult position, since it also wants to avoid further massive litigation against City by its rivals, who are seeking financial compensation.
Today is the deadline for claims against City , and the league’s intention is to close the case as soon as possible with the publication of the sanctions. Now a 12-week period begins to review the appeals, and the independent Committee will have another 30 additional days to issue its verdict, which should be ready between late December and January.
