Manchester City, the league’s reigning champion, was accused by the Premier League on Monday of breaking financial regulations for years in order to win trophies. If found guilty, City could face some of the harshest penalties in league history, including expulsion from England’s top division. The city has been one of the most successful soccer teams in Europe in recent years.
The scope of the Premier League’s list of allegations, which was presented in a news release littered with legalese and dry allusions to certain rules and bylaws, was astounding. More than 100 violations are alleged against Manchester City, including failing to provide accurate financial data “that gives a true and fair view of the club’s financial position,” failing to disclose contractual payments to managers and players, and failing to cooperate with Premier League investigators as required.
Manchester City
Manchester City Football Club is a Manchester-based English football team that plays in the Premier League, the country’s premier division. St. Mark’s (West Gorton), a football club founded in 1880, changed its name to Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and then to Manchester City in 1894. The team moved from Maine Road to the Etihad Stadium in east Manchester in 2003 after having played there since 1923. Manchester City first used their current name in 1894, and that same year they also got their recognisable sky blue home gear.
The team has won eight league championships, six FA Cups, eight League Cups, six FA Community Shields, and one European Cup Winners’ Cup throughout its existence.
The allegations have been forwarded to an impartial panel, which will hear them in a private proceeding, according to the Premier League. League representatives chose not to elaborate further on the claim or the evidence against City. The club is presently ranked second in the standings. The hearing has not been assigned a date.
The city concentrated on a few sentences in the regulations of the governing body that imposed a five-year time limit on the offences that could result in punishment when contesting that prohibition. The appeals panel determined that UEFA’s inquiry had actually taken too long to assess the most serious crimes, which allowed the club to avoid the most severe sanctions imposed on it.
