Manchester City might be removed from more than one competition if they are found guilty of violating Premier League financial regulations.
Manchester City are reportedly facing expulsion from more than only the Premier League if they are proven to have violated significant financial rules. City has angrily refuted the claims and stated that they intend to defend the charges leveled against them by the Premier League.
The Premier League originally accused City in February 2023 with 115 alleged breaches of Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules between 2009 and 2018. After some uncertainty, it was revealed that the Etihad club was facing 130 charges from the top division due to initial reporting problems.
Since then, the football world has been waiting for an update on when the hearings into these breaches will commence. City has always firmly denied the claims leveled against them, claiming they have ‘irrefutable evidence’ to clear their name.
According to the Telegraph, City is now in danger of being kicked out of both the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup, and there is no guarantee that they will be able to continue playing in the Champions League or the Club World Cup if they are found guilty of serious financial breaches.
The regulations of the two domestic cup tournaments suggest that City’s elimination from the game may extend beyond the Premier League. The FA Cup’s clause 31 reads: “Where a club has been admitted to participate in the competition but is then removed from the league in which it competes (or its league fixtures are suspended), the Professional Game Board [PGB] may remove the club from the competition.”
The PGB consists of Premier League and English Football League representatives. The Champions League rules look to be more difficult, however. Teams must have a UEFA club licence to compete in European competitions. UEFA, the FA, and the Premier League are involved in the administration of such licences, and it is unclear whether expulsion from a local league would be grounds for revocation.
The Club World Cup, for which City qualified after winning the Champions League last year, has no public regulations. However, if City are relegated from domestic football, it will be extremely difficult for them to continue competing in the Champions League and Club World Cup due to the huge gaps between games.
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