Manchester City’s punishment should reflect the duration and scale of the breaches that they committed. As per a recent report from Sky Sports, there is apparently very little sympathy for the eight-time champions. Most of them feel that the punishment should reflect the deed.
The club had continued to deny the wrongdoing while preparing for an appeal. The club’s defence, however, has not affected the rival clubs. It further claimed that many clubs believe a conventional points deduction may not be enough given the nature and duration of the breaches. City’s rival clubs are reportedly concerned that severe damage has been done to the image of the Premier League. Also, the legal costs involved in it and what they feel is City’s unwillingness to accept responsibility for the findings against them have further increased it. The findings of the commission were particularly serious. Relegating the club, only for them to return next season, would not reflect the seriousness of the rule breaches committed over such a long period.
This is after Man City denied the findings of an independent commission that found them guilty of more than 100 breaches of Premier League financial rules. It concluded that City inflated its revenues using more than £830 million of owner funding. Because of how long the case has dragged on, the frustration has also deepened.
They have also maintained that “a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists” to support their position. The recent report suggests that the common sentiment within the league is that “the punishment should fit the crime”. Furthermore, they used arrangements to help City comply with Premier League and UEFA rules, described as “sham”. This has led to a league-wide feeling that a punishment lasting only one season would not be enough, according to the Sky Sports report.
