Former Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch has called for Manchester City to receive the harshest possible punishment due to financial breaches.
Among the 115 charges brought against Manchester City, 35 related to a failure to cooperate with Premier League investigations. (Read the details)
The former Leeds United manager told "The Guardian": "I believe Manchester City should be severely punished. I think they should be relegated to the lower division, and by the way, everyone knew about this."
He added, "In the summer of 2022, Leeds United and Manchester City were the only two teams that announced profits. We indeed made profits because we sold Raphinha to Barcelona and Kalvin Phillips to City."
He continued, "We had a significant surplus from our purchases. At that time, we were not in a financial position that allowed us to avoid saving. The club's management did not have massive financial resources. As for Manchester City, when I heard this talk, I said: 'Are you joking? Is this a joke?'"
He concluded, "When they said they signed Erling Haaland for £52 million, my reaction was: Well, certainly! Therefore, I knew there were contradictions in the matter, but what can you do? You just throw your hands up in the air and say: This is football."
What are the potential sanctions on Manchester City?
According to Premier League regulations, potential sanctions range from financial fines and point deductions to exclusion from the Premier League.
Point deductions can be applied retroactively, which could open the door to stripping Manchester City of some of their previous titles.
Manchester City is preparing to appeal the decision in the coming days.
The Football Association accused the club of failing to provide accurate financial information, along with violations related to payments to players and managers, and rules concerning Financial Fair Play, profitability, and sustainability.
Manchester City denied all charges brought against them, affirming confidence in their legal position.
