Manchester City face relegation calls after landmark financial ruling

Manchester City could face a points deduction or expulsion from the Premier League after an independent commission found the club guilty of 114 out of 115 financial charges.

The ruling has prompted shock in Manchester, with some people calling for the Abu Dhabi-backed club to be relegated from the top flight.

“It’s a shame for football. Football is such a great sport and we can’t have stories like that,” said Karem Fagega, a 21-year-old student, who described the verdict as the downfall of “such a good team”.

The commission found that City had arranged “sham” contracts with several commercial partners, artificially increasing revenues and reducing costs by more than £900m between 2009 and 2018.

During that period, the club won the Premier League three times, as well as one FA Cup and three League Cups.

Sabrina Lodi, a 33-year-old account manager, said she was surprised by the allegations despite City’s financial strength.

“They do have the money to do everything right, but they decided to do everything wrong. So I was kind of shocked when I learned about it,” she said after the news emerged on Tuesday.

However, Lodi added that she believed Manchester City were “not the only ones that do it from around the world”, but were “just the ones that got caught”.

Connor Emery, a 25-year-old retail worker and Liverpool supporter, said the “damning” verdict had also taken him by surprise.

“I can’t believe it, to be fair. I never thought the club would get in trouble for anything,” he said, adding that he had expected the matter to be “brushed under the carpet”.

Calls for relegation

Some people questioned in Manchester said they wanted City to be relegated, although they felt the club was unlikely to receive that punishment.

British sports minister Lisa Nandy warned that “the ultimate sanction is very serious indeed” and confirmed that a club “can be expelled from the Premier League”.

“I personally think it should be a relegation,” said Corey, an 18-year-old Manchester United supporter. He added that the final decision “depends on what the Premier League have in place”.

Emery said he would support both relegation and a points deduction severe enough to force City down.

“I would want a relegation, probably a points deduction to get them relegated,” he said.

But he was doubtful that would happen. “It’s probably going to be a fine, let’s face it,” he added.

Former Manchester City defender Micah Richards said he was “absolutely devastated” by the findings about the club where he began playing at the age of 14.

“I feel saddened. I feel angry. I feel a little bit confused,” Richards said on The Rest is Football podcast, referring to a lack of information and conflicting accounts.

City chief executive Ferran Soriano described the verdict as a “Premier League conspiracy theory” and said the club would “be vindicated”.

Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane said he would discard his medals if he had been a City player.

“They knew it would hurt a lot of people, but they’ve still done it, and, if I was a player, I’d be 100 per cent sticking those medals in the bin,” he told ITV television.