Man City players 'fear Premier League relegation' as agent leaks dressing room reaction

· Mirror

Manchester City have been found guilty of breaching the Premier League's financial rules, with relegation from the English top flight landing as a potential punishment

Manchester City players are worried about points deductions and relegation from the Premier League as a result of the club's recent guilty verdict over breaching financial rules, as per reports. The Premier League confirmed on Wednesday that an independent panel had found the club guilty of all charges they were slapped with in 2023, relating to a nine-year period between 2009 and 2018.

A statement from the league read:

> "An independent Commission has found Manchester City FC guilty of all charges related to serious breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules over a nine-season period, and the majority of charges in relation to its failure to co-operate with the League’s investigation."

While City are expected to appeal the verdict, they must exercise their option to do so by Friday, October 2. If that appeal fails, however, City could be in for severe sanctions from top flight officials.

While all potential punishments are purely speculative at present, City could be handed fines or transfer embargoes should the Premier League see fit. However, should officials choose to throw the book at the club, then they could also risk being stripped of titles won between 2009 and 2018, huge points deductions, or even relegation from the league.

It's the latter two scenarios which are proving particularly worrying for players in Enzo Maresca's dressing room, according to an agent who recently spoke with L'Equipe. The publication claim that there is a feeling within the camp that a significant point deduction would inevitably lead to relegation to the Championship, in the event that the club don't automatically demote them.

It comes as football fans will have to wait a little while longer to learn City's fate, given the Premier League will not hand down any penalties until the case is concluded. An appeals process will extend the investigation further, although the league have vowed to work through matters as quickly as the possibly can.

It comes as City released a statement of their own in the wake of the Premier League's announcement on Tuesday. It read:

> "Manchester City FC is both disappointed and surprised by the opinion of the Premier League Commission, that has been published today.

> "The Club is innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League and a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all of its positions, relating to this case. The Club will therefore be relentless, and where necessary proactive, in any and all appropriate regulatory and legal forums.

> "The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements uncompleted. Manchester City FC will now pursue the appeal avenues open to it, on the basis that the opinion contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact, and is unsafe.

> "The Club has diligently respected due process for eight years on the basis that the Premier League Board and Executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair-minded regulator, free from partisan influence.

> "The Club is obviously restricted in what it can say further until all future proceedings are complete."

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