Premier League executives at rival clubs would be surprised if enough teams voted to expel Manchester City from the competition as punishment for its financial rule breaches, according to Sky Sports News.
Two senior executives at Premier League clubs told Sky Sports they would be “staggered” and “amazed” if 15 clubs backed a vote to remove City from the league. Under Premier League rules, three-quarters of the clubs would need to support expulsion for such a measure to take effect.
The comments come after an independent commission found Manchester City guilty of serious breaches of Premier League financial rules covering a nine-season period. The Premier League said the commission found breaches involving financial reporting, commercial arrangements and cooperation with its investigation.
City has rejected the findings and has confirmed that it intends to appeal. The club has until Friday, October 2, to lodge its appeal against the commission’s decision. No sporting sanction has yet been imposed.
Expulsion is one of the possible sanctions available to the independent commission. Other options include a fine, points deduction, transfer restrictions and other sporting penalties. A separate hearing will determine what punishment, if any, should follow the findings.
However, some rival clubs are understood to be considering the wider financial consequences of removing City from the Premier League. One executive told Sky Sports that expulsion could have significant commercial implications for broadcasting, sponsorship and other league revenues.
The executive argued that removing one of the competition’s most commercially prominent clubs could reduce the value of future broadcasting and sponsorship agreements. Such consequences could affect other Premier League clubs as well as Manchester City.
The case has also prompted discussions among rival clubs about possible legal claims against City. Reuters reported that clubs are considering potential compensation claims connected to prize money, European qualification and other financial opportunities, although no such claims had been filed at the time of its report.
The Premier League has stressed that the disciplinary process is not yet complete. The league said the sanction stage will be handled separately by the independent commission, while any appeal could further extend the process.
For now, Manchester City remains a Premier League club and continues its season while the appeal and sanction processes move forward. The eventual outcome will depend on the appeal and subsequent decisions by the relevant independent bodies.