PL execs consider ‘voting to suspend’ Man City before appeal and sanction verdicts after Anfield ‘farce’
A number of Premier League executives are ‘messaging’ each other as they consider ‘simply suspending Manchester City from the competition now’ rather than waiting for the independent panel to decide their punishment.
Enzo Maresca’s side dismantled Liverpool in the second half at on Sunday as Ryan Gravenberch’s second yellow card was followed quickly by goals from Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki as they maintained their 100 per cent record in the Premier League.
It was a bizarre atmosphere at Anfield before, during and after a game which, when all is said and done, might be entirely meaningless.
City were found guilty of breaching 114 Premier League rules by an independent commission last month, as the panel found them to have used ‘sham’ sponsorship deals to boost they earnings by around £900m between 2009 and 2018.
The club have now appealed that verdict as they insist upon their innocence and claim they have ‘irrefutable evidence’ to prove it, in the form of documents showing that the sponsorship funds came from the Abu Dhabi government rather from their owners.
READ: 16 Conclusions from Liverpool 0-3 Man City: Doku, Gravenberch, Cherki and the futility of existence
The initial three-man commission has already seen this evidence and ‘concluded it was an explanation that the club had concocted well after the event in an attempt to conceal the realities of the Disguised Funding Scheme’, but City hope an all-new panel will rule in their favour.
The original commission is currently deciding on City’s punishment, with a fine, transfer bans, points deductions and even Premier League expulsion all possible, while it’s also been suggested the club should have their titles stripped in a retrospective action.
But according to The Independent, some Premier League chiefs – having watched City cruise to victory at Anfield – are considering action before sanctions are decided.
It’s claimed they are ‘already messaging others over whether the Premier League should simply suspend City from the competition now, or if 15 clubs should push to vote for that’.
“This is a farce that will lead to protest, damage to the integrity and reputation of the competition, and possibly even violence,” one argued. “The board has a duty at law to its shareholders to protect, enhance and promote the interests of the Premier League.”
The report adds:
‘Others were poring through the rule book until they got to Rule B6, where 15 clubs can – in theory – vote to expel City now. ‘It should be stressed that prospect is viewed as having virtually no chance of happening. There are too many conflicting views, not to mention owner business relationships with Abu Dhabi.’
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