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Senior Figures Worry City May Play in Champions League Next Season
Confirmed
In Short: Senior figures within English football are worried that Manchester City could still qualify for the Champions League next season, even if they are relegated from the Premier League due to financial breaches.
The club was found guilty of inflating sponsorship revenue by £830m and hiding expenses worth an additional £90m, according to an independent commission.
City's appeal against the verdict is ongoing, and if it fails, they could face severe sanctions including points deductions, fines, and transfer embargoes.
The BBC reports that senior figures within the game have raised concerns about the possibility of City qualifying for the Champions League as titleholders, regardless of their status in the English domestic pyramid.
City's chief executive, Ferran Soriano, has issued a defiant message, stating that the club continues to deny any wrongdoing and calls the outcome a 'Premier League conspiracy.'
The issue of City's licence has been raised with UEFA, but it is not currently being looked into until the Premier League passes a final verdict.
If City's appeal is upheld, they could still be given a licence to play in Europe's top competition by UEFA, despite potential sanctions from the Premier League.
The licences are issued by the Football Association, though the process is delegated to the Premier League.
Senior figures within the game are concerned that allowing City to compete alongside Europe's elite and receive financial rewards would not be acceptable if they are found guilty and face sanctions.
What this adds
The BBC report adds that the issue of City's licence has been raised, but no solution has been reached yet, highlighting the complexity of the situation.
Background
Manchester City has been found guilty of 114 of 115 charges related to breaching Premier League financial regulations between 2009 and 2018, according to reports.
Manchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano has issued a defiant message to other Premier League clubs following the club's guilty verdict on the majority of charges brought against them.
What's confirmed
- Manchester City won the Champions League in 2023 with a 1-0 win over Inter Milan Senior figures within English football are concerned that Manchester City could play in the Champions League next season even if they are relegated from the Premier League for breaching financial regulations.
What's still developing
- BBC Sport has been told that there is no automatic mechanism to remove City from a European competition they qualify for on sporting merit.
- Without this, the independent commission said, City would have failed the profit and sustainability rules in all nine seasons between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons.
- One source said the issue of City's licence "had been raised" and that a solution "would require the sort of joined up thinking that's been a bit lacking so far".
- The Premier League case found City guilty of five charges of breaching Uefa's profit and sustainability rules.
- Uefa issued the ban after ruling City had committed "serious breaches" of financial fair play regulations between 2012 and 2016 - with the same period as the Premier League's investigation.
- The club have appealed after being found guilty of breaching 114 rules relating to Premier League financial regulations last month and their punishment could be unprecedented.
- Among the possible sanctions levied at City is the threat of a huge points deduction - and being hit by an enforced drop out of the top-flight for at least the 2027/28 season - and possibly a portion of the current campaign.
- That's the update from a BBC Sport report which states 'senior figures in English football are concerned this could happen' particularly if an appeal drags on.
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Sources
- BBClink
- TribalFootballlink
- The-Racelink
- Radiotimeslink
- Newsweeklink
- Malaymaillink
- Planetfootballlink
- Mmamanialink
- Bgneslink
- CBS Sportslink
- Varietylink
- BBClink
- Polskieradiolink
- Thebusbybabelink
- WarpBeat — background on Man City guilty charges: Premier League's options, how appeal works, more link
- WarpBeat — background on Man City CEO Defiant After Premier League Charges link
- Off Side Universe — video link