Premier League executive reveals MASSIVE points deduction figure Man City are facing if found guilty of 115 FFP breaches
WITH the new Premier League season just around the corner, the question is who can stop Manchester City winning a fifth straight title?
City will be favourites of course – yet there is one elephant in the room that threatens to put the skids under the Etihad giants.
Sunsport’s MARTIN LIPTON discusses what the next few months could hold with Head of Sport SHAUN CUSTIS.
Custis: So the big question – will there be a resolution this season?
Lipton: Yes…. probably! We know the case will start to be dealt with in October or November.
It will take at least a month to go through the evidence. So I suspect around March, April time, we will get a result. But that’s where it starts to get tricky.
If the result is in City's favour, that's the end of the matter. They will be cleared. They will have no punishment to face.
But if City are found guilty, these will be the heaviest penalties ever imposed by the Premier League.
I suspect if they are found guilty, they will be expelled from the league or given a massive points deduction and a huge fine so that they're not in the Premier League next season.
But of course, City, having spent this much money on lawyers to get to this point, are not just going to say, ‘OK, fair cop, that's all right’ and take their punishment. They will appeal – but obviously that will take months.
If you look at Everton last year and Nottingham Forest, those point deductions were put in place pending an appeal.
The new season officially starts at the summer meeting in July when the 20 clubs gather. And if City aren't there, they can't play.
So unless the tribunal puts in a suspension of the penalty pending an appeal, City will not be able to be in the Premier League next year, even if they subsequently win their case. So it's a bit messy even then.