Footballing Weekly: Man City in hot water following Premier League charges
Defending champions could face being expelled out of the league should they be found to have broken financial rules
SINGAPORE — The English Premier League (EPL) was hit by a shocking news this week: six-time champions Manchester City are being charged by the league with over 100 breaches of financial regulations.
The world's highest revenue-generating club last season, according to Deloitte, are alleged to have committed multiple financial breaches between 2009 and 2018. This was when it was under the ownership of the City Football Group, largely owned by Sheikh Mansour, the deputy prime minister of the United Arab Emirates.
League rules state that charges such as those faced by City could, if proved, result in a club being expelled from the Premier League in the worst-case scenario. Alternatively, they may be deducted points, fined or reprimanded.
Man City have responded by saying they were surprised by the league's "issuing of these alleged breaches". They added that they welcome the review of this matter by an independent commission, to "impartially consider the comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence that exists in support of its position".
Nonetheless, the charges come at a damaging time for City, after they lost 0-1 to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday (5 February) to waste an opportunity to close in on league leaders Arsenal.
Should they be found guilty of those charges, the repercussions are far and wide - not least creating deep uncertainties within their expensively-assembled squad as well as their highly-regarded manager Pep Guardiola.
The Spaniard has said before that he would quit the club if he finds out they had been lying to him regarding the finances of the club. Moreover, it would also put pressure on him to finally deliver the much-coveted Champions League title to club as soon as possible - preferably this season.
Make no mistake, this is a club in crisis now. How will they respond on and off the pitch? Check out Yahoo News Singapore's "Footballing Weekly" podcast show as it discusses this major news development.
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