Man City FFP: Guardiola’s side ‘will be relegated’ if found guilty with courts set for ‘massive call’
Man City will face relegation if they are found guilty of their 115 charges relating to alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules, according to the club’s former financial adviser.
Speaking at the end of April, Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said that the league’s case against Man City over alleged breaches of its financial rules “will resolve itself in the near future”.
The Citizens won the Premier League title in May – another trophy to be reallocated, perhaps? – after beating West Ham 3-1 on the final day of the season, which is their second since 115 charges were laid against them by the Premier League in February last year.
Asked whether a second Man City success while the charges remained outstanding would damage European league football, Masters said: “It’s not for the football authorities to start being selective about who they would like to win the league.
“The key point is that you’ve got that jeopardy until the final day. Who knows where we will be on May 19?”
MAN CITY IN COURT: LATEST FROM F365…
👉 Man City FFP: What are the 115 charges and when will they be punished?
👉 Man City ‘launch unprecedented legal action against Premier League’, top flight ‘plunged into civil war’
👉 City will ‘blow a big hole’ in FFP charges if they win ATP case as PL warned of ‘serious ramifications’
Masters, speaking at the European Leagues general assembly, added: “Obviously we can’t comment on the case, the date has been set and the case will resolve itself at some point in the near future, and I cannot make any further comment on it.”
And now former Man City financial adviser Stefan Borson insists that if the charges are proven it “will end in at least relegation” for the Citizens, who strongly deny any wrongdoing.
Borson told talkSPORT: “The scale is on a completely different level [to Everton and Nottingham Forest].
“There can be no question that, if these charges are proven, this will end in at least relegation. There is the suggestion of conspiracy over, effectively, a ten-year period.
“If proven, this is super serious. Nobody would argue with that. City will say, I promise you, that this is an allegation of the most serious nature.
“It seems to me to be highly unlikely that the conduct is alleged has taken place over a ten-year period with the sorts of individuals that are involved in the club and in the companies that are involved.
“It will be a very big call for any court or tribunal to suggest that this number of people have been dishonest, and perjured themselves.
“That would be a massive call for, effectively, some KCs and maybe a former finance director of a football club, to make against not just Manchester City, but against numerous executives, against third party individuals, and against, of course, potentially senior members of foreign states.”
READ NEXT: Ranking all 24 Euro 2024 away kits | Euro 2024 predictions: A France-Germany final