Manchester City could be staring down a catastrophic fall in the hierarchy of English football. If the club is expelled from the Premier League, the English Football League (EFL) may refuse to allow them entry into the Championship and its other divisions. This was reported by talkSPORT journalist Ben Jacobs.
On Friday, the 'Citizens' were found guilty on 114 out of 115 counts of breaching financial regulations. The hierarchy intends to appeal, but this will only occur after the sanctions are officially announced.
Possible punishments include hefty fines, point deductions, expulsion from the Premier League, and even the stripping of titles. However, BBC sports editor Dan Roan suggests that the latter is considered unlikely.
The Premier League hierarchy and the clubs themselves are not keen on stripping the club of past titles. Nevertheless, the matter is not closed, as an independent commission must conduct hearings regarding the sanctions. This means such a scenario cannot be entirely ruled out, although point deductions, substantial fines, or even expulsion from the league appear more probable.
Ben Jacobs asserts that the Premier League is pushing for an unprecedented punishment.
As far as I understand, the league is seeking a significant, record-breaking, innovative, and severe point deduction, potentially up to relegation. I can also exclusively report that if the club is expelled from the Premier League, the EFL plans to review the verdict and, in solidarity, support the Premier League's position by attempting to block their entry into its tournaments.
This turn of events would create an extraordinary problem for City. Usually, relegation from the Premier League means a transition to the Championship. If the EFL denies them access to the Championship, League One, and League Two, they could find themselves in the National League – England’s fifth-tier semi-professional division.
Jacobs termed such a possibility a genuine nightmare for the club.
There is a danger of a doomsday scenario, where the team could be expelled from professional football altogether.
The final punishment has yet to be determined, and Manchester City intends to appeal the verdict as soon as the independent commission finalizes the sanctions package.
