Man City must be relegated over 115 charges guilt - a points deduction is not enough

· Mirror

OPINION: Manchester City must be punished severely after being found guilty of almost all the 115 charges levied against them in a saga which has stained the English game

This has cast a shadow over English football for nearly four years.

Now, finally - long overdue - we have some clarity over Manchester City and the Premier League charges. They have been found guilty of 114 of the 115 charges and it is a bombshell for the beautiful game.

Of course, Manchester City are going to appeal. They have made that very clear. They deny the charges. But, let’s be very clear: if they are found guilty then they should be subject to the most severe punishment.

A heavy fine, points deduction and even expulsion from the Premier League are all possible sanctions. The other clubs in the Premier League, every fan of every other club and the stakeholders within the game will expect the ultimate punishment.

In my opinion, it is not about stripping them of Premier League titles. They were won on the pitch. This is about sending a clear message to the rest of football.

The message has to be strong, powerful and a real deterrent. In my view, it would have to be relegation. A points deduction does not feel enough. Even if they were clobbered with 40 points, City might still clock up enough to avoid relegation.

We have to be talking about a record fine, a transfer ban and relegation. You have to throw the book at anyone who breaks the rules to this extent. This is a terrible, dirty look for English football - and the Premier League has to clean it up.

There has been no bigger fan of Manchester City - and particularly Pep Guardiola - than me because they have been a joy to watch. City have raised the bar, raised the standard and been a joy to watch. They have played some of the best football this country has ever seen.

Guardiola reinvented the game and won trophies galore. But now we are left in a sorry state where we are questioning whether we could believe what we saw.

It was back in February 2023 when the Premier League launched the case and alleged that City had broken its financial rules over a nine-year period stretching from 2009 to 2018.

The club were also charged with failing to cooperate with Premier League investigations into their finances. That is also particularly damaging. Failing to cooperate. That is nine years - a time when City were built as a club thanks to Abu Dhabi investment - and they became the most dominant club in the land.

They were able to buy the best players, recruit the best manager and win almost all of the trophies. It has called the whole Premier League into question.

What about the clubs who finished second in that period? The clubs who missed out on trophies? You cannot rewrite the record books - but they will have an asterisk by them.

Furthermore, you now look and see City's huge spending in the last few windows. Were they pre-empting the verdict? Getting the squad ready for a potential transfer ban? All these issues are live ones for the rest of the Premier League.

It is so sad for the people who will really be punished by this. The City fans. Yes, they enjoyed the ride but they should not be cheated out of memories.

It has been nearly four years of doubt, accusations, sniping and anger. City maintain their innocence and continue to do so while the appeal is in the background. No wonder other clubs are angry. It has dragged on for way too long. But, having said that, this case has to be water tight and you can now understand why they were determined to take time with so much at stake.

It would be a desperate shame if it drags on too much longer now - appeal or not. That would be even more damaging. They have a right to appeal but we cannot wait forever. With every passing day, it damages the league’s integrity,

This case, this moment, is one of - if not the - biggest in the history of the Premier League.

That is why the punishment must be the strongest possible. It is the only way football can save its reputation.

Read the original

People in this story

Related