All England is waiting to know. Officially convicted of 114 financial offenses, Manchester City continues to proclaim its innocence (the Skyblues have also appealed), but on the other side of the Channel, no one dares to imagine that preferential treatment would be applied to the most hated team in the Kingdom. The desire to strike hard against City is more than palpable, because the discomfort caused by the Cityzens is enormous.
The malaise is total in England
Behind the scenes, political issues between Britain and the United Arab Emirates are a major topic. The Emiratis clearly put pressure on the British authorities by reminding them of the considerable sums invested, while the media continued to denounce possible political interference led by the British Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, former mayor of Greater Manchester and close to the owners of Manchester City.
Added to this was the palpable unease among one of the Premier League broadcasters, Sky Sports. The channel paid several billion euros to broadcast a product which found itself greatly devalued by its own consultants, some of whom would like to no longer comment on the matches of Enzo Maresca’s men. Faced with this observation, the Premier League must find the right solution, namely to sanction Manchester City harshly enough to mark the occasion, without causing too great an explosion for its image and that of the offending club.
Two years of purgatory in the Championship?
This afternoon, the Daily Mail announces that sanctions are looming in this matter. Thus, the tabloid explains that the PL would put pressure so that the announcement of the sanctions falls before the verdict of the Skyblues appeal (expected at the end of January). Exclusion from the English championship this season is highly improbable, as is relegation to League Two, the 4th division.
Manchester City would be more exposed to a colossal fine as well as an XXL points deduction which would guarantee their descent to the Championship (the 2nd division, editor’s note) at the end of the season. And that’s not all. The English media adds that“It is also possible that the sanction could include an additional points deduction which would effectively confine Manchester City to the Championship for at least one more season. The EFL would not be required to accept this sanction against any of its clubs, but it is likely that it would. » Clearly, the Skyblues would remain stuck in the second division for two seasons. Will this trend continue? If a two-year forced exile on the lower level is confirmed, the Skyblues will have a hard time stopping the exodus of their stars…
