'A risk not worth taking' - PL execs not expecting clubs to vote for City expulsion

· Sky-PL

Two senior executives at different top-level Premier League clubs have told Sky Sports News they would be “staggered” and “amazed” if there were 15 clubs ready to expel Manchester City from the Premier League, with such a move akin to “self-inflicted commercial disaster”.

Two senior executives at different top-level Premier League clubs have told Sky Sports News they would be “staggered” and “amazed” if 15 clubs were prepared to vote to expel Manchester City from the Premier League, with such a move akin to “self-inflicted commercial disaster."

Expulsion is one of a number of punishments open to the independent commission, which earlier this week found the club guilty of all but one of the 115 charges levelled against them for financial mis-management. Other available sanctions include a fine, points deduction and/or transfer embargo.

Man City remain adamant they are innocent and have vowed to fight the judgement.

Sky Sports News has been told discussions remain ongoing within, and between, the bosses of other clubs in the Premier League about how they might react to developments, with a number of them considering their own legal positions in terms of a possible financial claim against Manchester City.

Barristers and lawyers across the country are working with Premier League clubs over the prospect of bringing further litigation against Manchester City. City continue to deny all the charges and will appeal by Friday's deadline.

But in a new and surprising development, we have been told that many rival clubs consider Man City such a key part of the commercial attraction of the Premier League, both in the UK and globally, that if rival clubs voted to expel them, it would be as if those clubs were "cutting off their noses to spite their faces."

> "If Man City were expelled, that would have massive commercial consequences for everyone in the league, and ultimately it would cost the other clubs an awful lot of money," one executive, who didn't want to be named, told Sky Sports News.

He went on to explain that, should such a decision come during this, or next, season it would mean only 19 clubs playing games going forward for the remaining matches, with broadcasters in the UK and abroad likely to expect a refund because of the reduction - and the attractiveness - of the number of games they had paid to televise.

Sponsorship and other corporate sources of funding might well be reduced across the board if the most dominant club in English football in the last two decades were no longer playing in the Premier League.

Similarly, expulsion would bring the futures of stars like Erling Haaland, Phil Foden and more into question, which would further risk the commercial attractiveness of the Premier League and, according to one source, would make expulsion "a risk not worth taking."

A further issue could be the uncertainty created by top clubs deciding to go against the recommended sanction laid out by the independent commission.

If that commission were to recommend City be expelled, and then the Premier League clubs voted against such a move, it is unprecedented and unknown what - if any - punishment could then be brought against City.

Read the original

People in this story

Related