Man City face expulsion over alleged financial rule breaches

MANCHESTER City could be docked points or even expelled from the Premier League if more than 100 alleged rule breaches announced on Monday are found proven.

The Premier League issued a statement on its website announcing the club who have won the competition six times since 2011 had been referred to an independent commission in respect ofa series of alleged breaches of rules related to club finances.

The alleged breaches concerned the reporting of accurate financial information, the submission of details of manager and player pay information within the relevant contracts, a club’s responsibility as a Premier League member to adhere to UEFA’s Financial Fair Play regulations and to the league’s own profitability and sustainability regulations.

The club are also alleged to have breached rules requiring them to cooperate and assist with the Premier League’s investigation into those breaches, which the league says began in December 2018.

Manchester City issued a statement expressing surprise at the announcement of the alleged rule breaches, which referred to extensive engagement” with the Premier League on the matter. The club also said they held irrefutable evidence” in support of their position.

Premier League rule W.51 covers the sanctioning powers available to commissions should alleged breaches of league rules be found proven.

These range from a reprimand, through the deduction of points up to a recommendation to the league to expel a club from the competition.

The commission has the power to make such sanctions conditional on defined actions being taken within a fixed time period, and respondents have a right of appeal.