The Punishments Premier League Clubs Want for Man City's Rule Breaches

Officials from rival Premier League clubs are reported to be divided when it comes to the punishments handed out to Manchester City for their financial misconduct. Having beenfound guilty of the vast majority of the charges against them, City are facing awhole host of potential sanctionsthat could range from fines and point deductions to expulsion from the Premier League and anything else league officials deem suitable.

City could bestripped of the three Premier League titleswon during the period in question-2009 to 2018-but it is expected that any punishment, which is yet to be handed out while City plan an appeal, will impact the present or future, rather than the past. An independent panel will decide what punishments to hand out.

Satisfying everyone is seemingly going to be impossible. MORE FALLOUT ON MAN CITY CHARGES VERDICT • Seven Takeaways From Official Report Into Man City's Nine Years of Cheating • Premier League Stun Man City With Scathing Official Guilty Verdict • Man City Charges: The Premier League's Multi-Year Investigation Explained • The Potential Punishments Facing Man City for 115 Premier League Charges • The Premier League Champions If Man City Are Stripped of Titles A 'Prolonged Absence' From the Premier League Many want to see City demoted to the Championship.

City cannot be bluntly relegated as a punishment-the English Football League operates as a separate body and is under no obligation to accept anything aside from the three sides traditionally relegated-but a points deduction significant enough to glue City to the bottom of the standings is feasible. According to those involved in this report, officials from other clubs do not want one single punishment for City, fearing they would simply return to the Premier League after one season in the Championship and be free to continue as though nothing happened.

"Relegation to the Championship for one season would be insufficient," one executive is quoted as saying. "The commission has to arrive at a punishment that is proportionate for years of sustained and deliberate cheating, as well as providing a strong deterrent to it happening again.

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The Bigger Issue With Premier League Expulsion Are Man City simply too valuable to lose? However, Sky Sports News state they have spoken with two senior executives from unnamed Premier League clubs, and they would be "staggered" and "amazed" if enough clubs were genuinely against keeping City in the division.

Central to the issue is City's influence as a global powerhouse. Regardless of what rival fans may think, there is no denying the fact that City are among the biggest commercial attractions in the English game.

Immediate expulsion would also lead to issues of fixture scheduling and TV broadcasting. If the remainder of the season is played with just 19 teams, there would be fewer fixtures to show and those that spend huge sums for the broadcasting rights could pursue refunds that would ultimately come from the money given out to all the clubs in the division.

"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 said. Independent Football Regulator Watching Closely The IFR could take action against key Man City leaders.