 |
|
 |
||
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|||
Macon MFA 1805 A N Missouri St Macon, MO 63552 660-385-5753 Shelbina MFA 215 W Maple St Shelbina, MO 63468 573-588-4140 CLICK - MFA CONNECT |
|
Printable Page
09/30 14:17 CDT Potential sanctions against Man City could range from fines to
expulsion from the Premier League
Potential sanctions against Man City could range from fines to expulsion from
the Premier League
By STEVE DOUGLAS
AP Sports Writer
Manchester City faces an uncertain future after the decorated English soccer
club was found guilty of systematically breaking the Premier League's financial
rules for nearly a decade.
The verdict, delivered by an independent disciplinary commission, leaves open
an array of sanctions including a fine, points deduction or even expulsion from
the Premier League. City could also face possible compensation claims from
rival teams, while its ownership --- the Abu Dhabi-controlled City Football
Group --- is coming under increasing scrutiny.
The club has rejected the verdict in a case that dates back to 2018 and mainly
covers its financial dealings from 2009-18, and promises a relentless campaign
to clear its name.
Here's a look at what's next in one of the biggest scandals in English soccer
history:
City promises ?relentless' challenge to the verdict City can appeal the verdict and has insisted it will. "The Club is innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League and a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all of its positions," City said in a statement. "The Club will therefore be relentless, and where necessary proactive, in any and all appropriate regulatory and legal forums." To make its appeal, City would need to send an email to the chair of the independent commission's three-person panel, who would then appoint a new appeal board --- also consisting of three people, one of whom "shall have held judicial office," according to the Premier League handbook. The board will then schedule a hearing that should finish within 12 weeks after the appeal is filed and not exceed five consecutive days.
The sanctions
will be decided later City's punishment will be addressed in a separate, confidential hearing with the independent commission. The Premier League statement didn't mention whether sanctions can be imposed before the decision of the appeal is reached, only that it was the league's intention that the process is concluded "as soon as possible." According to the Premier League, the independent commission could issue a reprimand, fine, suspension, points deduction or, in the worst case, expel the club from the competition. Clubs have been expelled from lower leagues in England but never from the Premier League. A club that is expelled from the Premier League could apply for membership in the English Football League, which runs the three divisions below the Premier League: the Championship, League One and League Two. The EFL's regulations say it "could be asked to accommodate any former Premier League Club(s) in League Two." The biggest points deduction handed to a Premier League team was 10 to Everton in 2023, for overspending in one three-year financial period. That deduction was later reduced to six after an appeal. City's breaches are much more widespread and included a refusal to cooperate, unlike Everton.
An independent regulator could get involved Separately, the Independent Football Regulator --- a body established by the British government last year to set governance standards in English soccer --- could intervene in the City case. The new regulator is independent of English soccer authorities and has the power to remove club owners if they are found unsuitable. "The independent commission's decision raises serious issues," IFR chairman David Kogan said on Wednesday. "The IFR has powers to assess the suitability of owners, directors and executives and we will use these powers where appropriate, in the interests of protecting the sustainability, honesty and integrity of English football where there is clear evidence of wrongdoing by individuals," he said. Kogan said the IFR was awaiting further developments in the ongoing proceedings between City and the Premier League. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he would be "really concerned" to lose City's current ownership. "They've been such a huge partner in the building of modern Manchester," Burnham, who was formerly the mayor of Manchester, said to the BBC. "Obviously, the building of Manchester City into the global force that it is." Asked if he would be willing to listen to the United Arab Emirates government about the matter, Burnham said: "I am not getting directly involved in the process. I've not spoken to anybody directly about that. I have to keep my distance from it. It would be wrong for me to do anything else. It's an independent legal process that has to play its course through."
Some have called for criminal charges The Man City case is a disciplinary proceeding, not a criminal investigation. However, some have suggested that British authorities also should look at matter. "If accounts have been falsified and auditors have been misled, then it is potentially a criminal matter," Lord Cruddas, a Conservative peer, told the BBC. "The auditors will call in the police, directors are personally liable for any fraud of a UK company even if it is foreign-owned." According to the Fraud Act of 2006, individuals can face up to 10 years in prison if they are found to have dishonestly made a false representation with the intention of making a gain or avoiding a loss. There have been no reports of any criminal investigation in the case.
Rival teams could make claims for compensation No club has publicly announced its intention to make a compensation claim based on the impact of City's rule-breaking. However, the BBC has reported that a number of clubs had started seeking advice over whether they would have a case for financial compensation, before the verdict had been announced. A precedent was set this year when Everton was ordered to pay more than 35 million pounds ($47 million) in compensation to Burnley, which successfully argued to a disciplinary commission that it would have survived relegation --- at Everton's expense --- in the 2021-22 campaign had its rival been given its six-point penalty for the financial breaches that season. In City's case, top teams could argue they lost out on titles or Champions League qualification --- worth tens of millions of dollars each season --- because of City's conduct, and weaker teams could claim defeats to City's expensively assembled squads contributed to relegation or lower finishing positions in the league standings, and therefore reduced prize money. ___ See AP's full soccer coverage here
City promises ?relentless' challenge to the verdict City can appeal the verdict and has insisted it will. "The Club is innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League and a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all of its positions," City said in a statement. "The Club will therefore be relentless, and where necessary proactive, in any and all appropriate regulatory and legal forums." To make its appeal, City would need to send an email to the chair of the independent commission's three-person panel, who would then appoint a new appeal board --- also consisting of three people, one of whom "shall have held judicial office," according to the Premier League handbook. The board will then schedule a hearing that should finish within 12 weeks after the appeal is filed and not exceed five consecutive days.
The sanctions
will be decided later City's punishment will be addressed in a separate, confidential hearing with the independent commission. The Premier League statement didn't mention whether sanctions can be imposed before the decision of the appeal is reached, only that it was the league's intention that the process is concluded "as soon as possible." According to the Premier League, the independent commission could issue a reprimand, fine, suspension, points deduction or, in the worst case, expel the club from the competition. Clubs have been expelled from lower leagues in England but never from the Premier League. A club that is expelled from the Premier League could apply for membership in the English Football League, which runs the three divisions below the Premier League: the Championship, League One and League Two. The EFL's regulations say it "could be asked to accommodate any former Premier League Club(s) in League Two." The biggest points deduction handed to a Premier League team was 10 to Everton in 2023, for overspending in one three-year financial period. That deduction was later reduced to six after an appeal. City's breaches are much more widespread and included a refusal to cooperate, unlike Everton.
An independent regulator could get involved Separately, the Independent Football Regulator --- a body established by the British government last year to set governance standards in English soccer --- could intervene in the City case. The new regulator is independent of English soccer authorities and has the power to remove club owners if they are found unsuitable. "The independent commission's decision raises serious issues," IFR chairman David Kogan said on Wednesday. "The IFR has powers to assess the suitability of owners, directors and executives and we will use these powers where appropriate, in the interests of protecting the sustainability, honesty and integrity of English football where there is clear evidence of wrongdoing by individuals," he said. Kogan said the IFR was awaiting further developments in the ongoing proceedings between City and the Premier League. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he would be "really concerned" to lose City's current ownership. "They've been such a huge partner in the building of modern Manchester," Burnham, who was formerly the mayor of Manchester, said to the BBC. "Obviously, the building of Manchester City into the global force that it is." Asked if he would be willing to listen to the United Arab Emirates government about the matter, Burnham said: "I am not getting directly involved in the process. I've not spoken to anybody directly about that. I have to keep my distance from it. It would be wrong for me to do anything else. It's an independent legal process that has to play its course through."
Some have called for criminal charges The Man City case is a disciplinary proceeding, not a criminal investigation. However, some have suggested that British authorities also should look at matter. "If accounts have been falsified and auditors have been misled, then it is potentially a criminal matter," Lord Cruddas, a Conservative peer, told the BBC. "The auditors will call in the police, directors are personally liable for any fraud of a UK company even if it is foreign-owned." According to the Fraud Act of 2006, individuals can face up to 10 years in prison if they are found to have dishonestly made a false representation with the intention of making a gain or avoiding a loss. There have been no reports of any criminal investigation in the case.
Rival teams could make claims for compensation No club has publicly announced its intention to make a compensation claim based on the impact of City's rule-breaking. However, the BBC has reported that a number of clubs had started seeking advice over whether they would have a case for financial compensation, before the verdict had been announced. A precedent was set this year when Everton was ordered to pay more than 35 million pounds ($47 million) in compensation to Burnley, which successfully argued to a disciplinary commission that it would have survived relegation --- at Everton's expense --- in the 2021-22 campaign had its rival been given its six-point penalty for the financial breaches that season. In City's case, top teams could argue they lost out on titles or Champions League qualification --- worth tens of millions of dollars each season --- because of City's conduct, and weaker teams could claim defeats to City's expensively assembled squads contributed to relegation or lower finishing positions in the league standings, and therefore reduced prize money. ___ See AP's full soccer coverage here
