Man City ‘expulsion could be a possibility’ as Prem clubs ‘question integrity of title race’
Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson insists “expulsion could be a possibility” for Man City if they found guilty of their 115 FFP charges.
The Premier League issued a statement on its website in February 2023 announcing Man City had been referred to an independent commission in respect of a series of alleged breaches of rules related to club finances.
Expulsion now on the table for Man City?
The alleged breaches concerned the reporting of accurate financial information, the submission of details of manager and player pay information within the relevant contracts, a club’s responsibility as a Premier League member to adhere to UEFA’s Financial Fair Play regulations and to the league’s own profitability and sustainability regulations.
Man City, who won the Treble last season, are also alleged to have breached rules requiring them to co-operate and assist with the Premier League’s investigation into those breaches, which the league says began in December 2018.
The Citizens issued a statement expressing surprise at the announcement of the alleged rule breaches, which referred to “extensive engagement” with the Premier League on the matter. The club also said they held “irrefutable evidence” in support of their position.
It is unclear how much longer the process will take but there have been some suggestions that it could run for several more years.
READ MORE: Man City stars reassigned after FFP ‘expulsion’: Foden to Chelsea as CB gets ‘dream’ Liverpool move
There has been an increased spotlight put on Man City’s charges in recent months after Everton and Nottingham Forest both received points deductions for breaking the Premier League’s financial rules.
Former Everton CEO Keith Wyness suggested that Premier League “expulsion” is now “on the table” for Man City “for the first time” and Robinson agrees but thinks that punishment would be “harsh”.
“First of all, we have to look at it from a Man City point of view,” Robinson told Football Insider.
“They’re absolutely adamant that they have not done anything wrong and they’re fighting the case the whole way, hence why it is taking so long.
“They’re quite confident that they can make this go away. Four points for Forest, six points for Everton for one breach – can you imagine what Man City have breached if they are found guilty?
“You only have to look at Rangers when they were expelled from the league. The way that it’s been run so far – nothing is impossible with the sanctions.
“There’s not a list of punishments that fit the crime. They’re each dealt with on an individual basis. Forest got less of a deduction [than Everton] because they played ball.
“There’s no level playing field for each crime. Everton and Forest were charged with the same thing, but they were both dealt with differently.
“If you look at City, who knows what’s going to happen? If they are found guilty, expulsion could be a possibility, but harsh.”
Fixture schedule causing Premier League ‘backlash’
And the Daily Mirror claim that the Premier League are also facing a ‘backlash’ over the latest schedule after Arsenal and Liverpool fixture changes.
Tottenham will benefit from a huge 15-day break before the north London derby against Arsenal, while the Gunners are set to play four matches in that period.
The Daily Mirror continues:
‘Tottenham’s game with Manchester City on April 20 has been postponed because Pep Guardiola ’s men have an FA Cup semi-final with Chelsea that weekend. However, rather than reschedule Tottenham vs City for the following midweek, Guardiola’s men will play Brighton instead on Thursday, April 25.
‘That gives Tottenham a complete break from their game at Newcastle on April 13 until they play Arsenal at White Hart Lane. During those 15 days, Arsenal will face FOUR crunch games with Aston Villa, Bayern Munich, Wolves and their rearranged game with Chelsea while Spurs put their feet up.
‘It could have massive implications in the title race as well as the battle for top four as Tottenham’s schedule gives them a huge edge over Villa who are still in the Europa Conference League. That has left people at various clubs questioning the “integrity” of the fixture list and the role the rescheduling might play in deciding who wins the title and gets into the top four.’
