Rival clubs say Championship relegation would not be enough for Manchester City

Manchester City’s rivals are pressing the Premier League to push for a sanction that would result in a prolonged absence from the top flight after the club were found guilty of more than 100 charges of financial rule-breaking, The Guardian reported. “Relegation to the Championship for one season would be insufficient,” a club source told the newspaper.

The independent commission described the club’s “disguised funding scheme” and “sham commercial deals”, which enabled it to artificially inflate its income by £900m between 2009 and 2018. City say they are “innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League and a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all of its positions, relating to this case”.

The same independent commission will determine City’s fate at a sanctions hearing pending the outcome of the club’s appeal, which will be heard by a newly convened independent panel. A decision on the appeal should be reached by the end of January next year.