Man City should be kicked out of Premier League, ex-chairman says

Former Manchester City chairman David Bernstein has called for the club to be expelled from the Premier League if it fails to overturn a landmark ruling finding it guilty of serious financial breaches. Bernstein, who chaired City between 1998 and 2003, said financial penalties alone would be insufficient following the findings of an independent commission investigating the club's conduct over nine seasons between 2009 and 2018.

The commission found that City used sham sponsorship agreements to inflate revenues and reduce costs, concealing the true state of the club's finances and allowing it to circumvent financial regulations. The Premier League said the arrangements involved more than £900 million in financial discrepancies, including approximately £830 million in disguised funding.

The commission also upheld the majority of charges relating to City's failure to cooperate with the investigation. Speaking to the BBC, Bernstein questioned whether the club's current board should remain in place and called for those involved in the financial arrangements to face disciplinary action.

He said the findings raised serious questions about the credibility of the Premier League and insisted that any punishment must extend beyond a fine. Bernstein, a lifelong City supporter, said the club should not be allowed to remain in the competition if its appeal is unsuccessful.

The former chairman's comments come as the Premier League prepares to determine sanctions against the Abu Dhabi-owned club. Possible punishments include relegation, a points deduction or a substantial financial penalty.

No sanction has yet been imposed. Manchester City have rejected the commission's findings and confirmed that they intend to appeal, maintaining that the ruling contains significant legal and factual errors.

Chief executive Ferran Soriano has accused the Premier League of pursuing a conspiracy theory involving alleged secret funding from the club's owners through Abu Dhabi-based sponsors. Soriano said City had submitted bank records, financial documents and witness testimony that it believes disprove the allegations.

The club has until October 2 to lodge its appeal, while a separate disciplinary hearing will determine the sanctions it could face. The case follows City's successful appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in 2020, when a two-year ban from European competitions imposed by UEFA was overturned in a separate financial fair play dispute.