According to sources, Manchester City’s players adopted a siege mentality in response to the latest accusations made against the club by the Premier League.
The defending English champions were accused of more than 100 breaches of Financial Fair Play regulations on Monday after a four-year investigation, which followed the publication of leaked emails by German outlet Der Spiegel back in 2018.
City could face a points deduction and a hefty fine if they are unable to successfully prove their innocence, while it has also been suggested that they could be relegated to the EFL or even the National League in a possible worst-case scenario. However, it seems as though City’s players are not overly concerned by the situation as they continue to hunt down Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table.
The dressing room mood is one of a ‘siege mentality’ with players feeling ’embattled but also defiant’ about the saga, according to The Independent. It is said that Monday’s bombshell news has led to plenty of discussion at City’s training ground, but the club’s established stars remain focused on closing the gap to Arsenal and maintaining their bid to win a third Premier League title in as many seasons.
Manchester City’s squad are reportedly staying positive about the club’s situation (Image: GETTY)
Some former players are less optimistic about the situation, though, with a few said to be wondering if their Premier League medals will still count amid speculation that City could be stripped of their previous titles. However, this would be an extreme form of punishment, with Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol claiming earlier this week that a minor points deduction will be the most likely outcome if City are found guilty of the charges against them.
“Overall, the sense I am getting is that this will end up with Manchester City getting a small points deduction,” he said on Tuesday.
“That is the feeling I am getting this evening. But as I said, at the outset, as far as the Premier League clubs are concerned and as far as people I’ve been speaking to within the world of football, people are saying ‘look, it’s not for us to get involved, leave it to the independent commission’.
“Meanwhile, sports lawyer Catherine Forshaw recently warned that the disciplinary proceedings brought by the Premier League against City could take at least two years to reach a solid conclusion, which suggests that no concrete answers will be given for quite some time.
“What it means for Man City is uncharted territory,” said Forshaw. “Both sides have lawyered up very heavily. Lord Pannick, you look at the figures he will be charging, it’s absolutely eye-watering, I think his brief fee alone is £800,000.
“Then you’ve got the Blackstone team for the Premier League and Adam Lewis KC, I know him personally and he’s absolutely fantastic, but this is by no means going to be a quick resolution. It could rumble on for a year, two years.
“It comes down to the fact there are 115 charges, each of which will have its own evidence that will need to be addressed in isolation. Once the committee is convened it will set out a timetable that will be agreed with the Premier League and the club. They will sit down, look at the timetable, agree it.
“Both parties will be given an opportunity to compile their evidence, speak to witnesses, experts in the industry, leading experts around the rules and regs.Then it will be a case of disclosing that evidence, looking at the evidence from the other parties and having a chance to respond to it.
“Then the panel will sit and have a hearing. I would imagine that hearing would last in excess of a week, it could be two or three weeks. It really comes down to how much evidence there is.”
source: www.express.co.uk
