Man City CEO’s Defiant Vow Sets Up Next Chapter of Premier League Saga

Manchester City CEO Ferran Soriano is reported to have warned officials from other clubs that it is going to take “a lot more time” for a concrete outcome to the increasingly complex Premier League investigation into alleged financial misconduct.

It emerged last week that City had been found guilty of 114 of the 115 charges against them for failure to correctly report their finances between 2009 and 2018 and a refusal to cooperate with the investigation.

Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak recently hinted at plans to appeal the ruling with a defiant promise to prove the club’s innocence, and The Times state Soriano echoed the same message during a recent board meeting of European Football Clubs, the independent body for clubs within Europe.

Speaking in front of a room of his counterparts, Soriano is said to have insisted: “It has taken eight years to get here—and it’s going to take a lot more time.”

As he left the meeting, Soriano faced a series of questions from Sky News, but the City CEO refused to even acknowledge the reporters.

More Fallout to Man City Charges Verdict

• Man City Charges: The Premier League’s Multi-Year Investigation Explained

• The Potential Punishments Facing Man City for 115 Premier League Charges

• Every Premier League Points Deduction in History—and the Clubs Hit by Them

• The Premier League Champions If Man City Are Stripped of Titles

Premier League ‘to Recommend Punishments’ for Man City

Enzo Maresca will be nervously awaiting an outcome. | Carl Recine/Getty Images

The Premier League have yet to even comment on the initial guilty verdict which, given the impending appeal, has not yet produced any punishments.

City could face a whole host of sanctions if a guilty ruling is ratified. There is no limit to the fine that could be issued, while a significant points deduction could also be handed out, and the Premier League rulebook even grants the league the ability to dish out any other punishment it sees fit.

The report states the Premier League will make its recommendations to an independent committee. A three-person commission is expected to meet in the coming weeks to discuss the sanctions, with City expected to argue against any punishments.

The panel has the ability to hand out transfer bans and could even expel City from the Premier League. The English Football League (EFL), which governs the Championship and Leagues One and Two, would be under no obligation to accept City in that circumstance.

Joe Hart: I Trust Man City

Those currently connected to City have remained quiet, but some former players have taken the opportunity to speak out in support of the organization.

Rodri, who left for Barcelona in the summer, recently admitted he believes City will clear their name, and former goalkeeper Joe Hart has put his faith in Al Mubarak to set the record straight.

“I’ve heard everyone else go down every single rabbit hole, every single wormhole, every single discussion,” Hart, who joined the club in 2006 and made 348 appearances over the 12 years that followed, told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“My honest opinion is I’ve got no reason not to trust Khaldoon. What he said is enough for me. I loved how he spoke. I loved the letter because that was from someone who cared about the club.”

He continued: “If Man City are found guilty, which I don’t think they are because of what Khaldoon said, then there’s conversations to be had.

“But right now I’m very confident and very, very calm. I’m very proud of what I’ve achieved and what I did with Manchester City and what we achieved as a team. And that doesn’t change. That doesn’t change until you tell me.”

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