Rivals: Punish Man City Before Season Ends — SkimNews
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- Manchester City were found guilty on all charges tied to breaches of Premier League financial regulations between 2009-10 and 2017-18, including artificially inflating revenue by more than £900m through 'sham' sponsorship deals.
- Senior football figures told BBC Sport they see no reason the case cannot conclude by season's end, with one club official saying 'it benefits everyone for this to be resolved as quickly as possible' and another saying the process 'should' be resolved before May.
- Premier League rules state an appeal should conclude no more than 12 weeks after filing and a decision should be made within 30 days of its end, with the final ruling resting with the independent commission after the board and City suggest punishments.
- Etihad Airways, City's main sponsor since 2009, said it 'categorically rejects any finding, conclusion or implication' of improper commercial arrangements and is considering legal action against the Premier League over how the findings were publicly communicated.
- City have repeatedly denied guilt and signaled intent to lodge an appeal by week's end; they cannot appeal further to the Court of Arbitration for Sport but could potentially claim at the High Court that the process was not impartial.
- City CEO Ferran Soriano has suggested the case will run for a long time — a stance at odds with rival clubs' push for a swift resolution before the season closes.
Why it matters: Rivals fear letting the case drag on while City compete — and potentially win the title — would create what one source called 'uncertainty and farce.' The Premier League's own 12-week appeal and 30-day decision windows exist precisely to prevent that. Etihad's threatened separate suit adds commercial pressure on the league beyond the sporting stakes.
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