‘Appalling’ impact of Man City FFP sanctions revealed as case could ‘spiral out of control’
A former Liverpool and Chelsea official is seriously concerned the Manchester City Financial Fair Play (FFP) case will ‘spiral out of control’, affecting a host of other Premier League clubs, while Cityzens chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has responded to the ruling with a statement.
It emerged on Friday that City have been found guilty of 114 of the 115 charges first made by the Premier League in February 2023. The charges include inaccurate financial reporting relating to sponsorship income, player salaries and manager contracts, plus failure to comply with the Premier League’s investigation.
We confirmed on Friday that City are adamant they are innocent and will continue to make the ‘most robust’ challenge to clear their name.
City are expected to launch an appeal, but if that is unsuccessful then they could face a serious punishment.
Potential sanctions include a fine, Premier League titles being stripped, a transfer ban or even relegation from the top flight.
Christian Purslow, who previously worked in the hierarchies of Liverpool, Chelsea and then Aston Villa, believes a series of subsequent legal battles ‘would be absolutely appalling for the game’.
“It’s a sort of ‘where does this end?’ because if you look at every single season – the nine seasons which we now know Manchester City breached rules – then all of their 19 Premier League rivals in that season, to differing extents, suffered easy-to-compute loss. Whether it was a place in the Premier League – every place was worth £3m,” he said via the BBC.
“Teams that came fifth who didn’t make the Champions League maybe lost tens of millions of pounds – and of course teams that were relegated. Let’s say the team that finished 18th would’ve finished 17th if Manchester City weren’t there. And they, of course, suffered huge loss.
“If you add all those claims up, over nine years, and that’s just in the Premier League, you can see that the potential here for this to spiral out of control is huge.
“I really hope that common sense prevails here and that there is a comprehensive solution between the authorities and Manchester City that looks at all these issues and tries to draw a line in the sand. Because a never-ending waterfall of legal claims and uncertainties for another four or five years would be absolutely appalling for the game.”
Meanwhile, Al Mubarak released the following statement on Saturday afternoon: ‘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. 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.
Man City reaffirm innocence despite guilty verdict
‘I ask you to please carefully read the statement below, which we gave on Friday, and the statement we issued in February 2023 (also below). Every word matters and holds true.
‘While some people have been quick to reach their own conclusions, and there is so much noise swirling around us, nothing has changed. We have faced challenges together before and have prevailed. There remain many who want to undermine the momentum of our Club. We will not give them that opportunity.
‘We have some exciting moments to look forward to after this international break. We travel to Anfield in a fortnight, and then host Paris St Germain in the Champions League back at Etihad Stadium – moments that give us an opportunity to celebrate the strength of the Manchester City family.
‘Thank you, as always, for your constant support.’
On Friday, City released the following statement: ‘The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality. As such Manchester City FC’s position remains consistent with the Club’s statement of February 2023.
‘The Club has diligently respected due process for eight years on the basis that the Premier League Board and Executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair-minded regulator, free from partisan influence.’
City’s February 2023 statement is as follows: ‘Manchester City FC is surprised by the issuing of these alleged breaches of the Premier League Rules, particularly given the extensive engagement and vast amount of detailed materials that the EPL has been provided with.
‘The Club welcomes the review of this matter by an independent Commission, to impartially consider the comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence that exists in support of its position.
‘As such we look forward to this matter being put to rest once and for all.’
The Premier League’s stance on stripping City of their titles has already been revealed by a trusted source.
