Pursued by the Premier League since 2023 for 115 breaches of financial fair play rules committed between 2009 and 2018, Manchester City just saw the ax fall last week. Revealed exclusively by The Athletic, the Mancunian club was found guilty of almost all of the charges brought against it. A resounding announcement which sparked a wave of indignation and an outcry across the country, where consultants and supporters cried foul and demanded exemplary sanctions.
However, despite this devastating verdict, the British body has not yet decided on the exact nature of the sanctions. This legal in-between, accentuated by the prospect of an almost certain appeal from Pep Guardiola’s former club and a recent press release of support from management, plunges the institution into total limbo. The absence of immediate convictions creates a particularly heavy atmosphere. The latter has the gift of mentally weakening players consumed by uncertainty about the sporting future of their club while the sanctions can go as far as a withdrawal of points leading to inevitable relegation.
Manchester City players are disturbed
This extra-sporting crisis arose inside the Three Lions gathering where Elliot Anderson, Marc Guehi and Nico O’Reilly were called up. If captain Harry Kane and coach Thomas Tuchel recently denied the negative impact of these accusations on the Skyblues summoned with England, the reality on the ground suggests the opposite. During the defeat against Spain (2-3), Marc Guehi was the author of a guilty error on Lamine Yamal’s opener. Proof that something is wrong with the City players at this gathering, Nico O’Reilly, established on the left flank of the defense, was at fault for the second Spanish goal.
Abnormal errors among players of this ilk and which challenged English observers. In addition to the remarks of Roy Keane and Gary Lineker in this regard, The Team we learn this Tuesday that the entourage of City players also confirms that the discussions behind the scenes revolve around a fairly crazy threat. Indeed, the Cityzens fear a massive withdrawal of points which could simply condemn the reigning champion to administrative relegation to the Championship. A prospect which is enough to confuse minds during this international break when Manchester City could even be plundered in the event of XXL sanctions.
