A new report has outlined the most likely punishment for Manchester City if the 115 charges against the Premier League champions are proven.
The hearing into City's 115 alleged breaches of Premier League rules is set to begin on Monday and will be overseen by an independent panel.
The hearing is expected to last around two months, although a final decision – including any potential appeal from City if they lose – is unlikely to come until after the end of the 2024/25 season.
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The charges mainly relate to a nine-year period, starting in 2009 and ending in 2018, with City accused of various alleged breaches - all of which the club strenuously deny.
The Premier League champions have been charged with failing to provide accurate information, failing to provide accurate details for player and manager payments, breaching profit and sustainability rules (PSR), failing to comply with UEFA regulations including financial fair play (FFP) and failing to cooperate with Premier League investigations.
All charges stem from documents leaked via German newspaper Der Spiegel back in 2009, with the Premier League investigating City since 2018.
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The Etihad club claim they have "irrefutable evidence" to support their defence, with the matter now set to be settled by an independent panel.
Ahead of the start of the hearing, the Evening Standard has revealed the most likely punishment for City if they lose the case.
While relegation to the Championship has been suggested as one possible outcome, it is deemed to be less likely than other potential punishments.
"A more likely punishment is a significant points deduction and fine, in the event that the Premier League were able to prove a cross section of the charges," read the report.
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Premier League chiefs are said to be keen to impose a strict punishment to act as a deterrent to other clubs, if they win the case against City.
Several sources have told the Evening Standard that a points deduction in the region of 30 could be handed to the Premier League champions.
However, the likelihood of the Premier League dealing out retrospective punishment such as removing titles and handing them to other clubs is said to be 'remote'.
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City's owners and directors are adamant the club has done nothing wrong and are determined to defend themselves with all their financial might.
This has raised concerns ahead of the start of the hearing over the potential legal bill the Premier League could be left with, regardless of the outcome of the case.
The Daily Mail reported earlier this month that the league could be left with a bill totalling 'tens of millions' even if it wins the case.
It comes after a commission and appeal board ruled the Premier League was liable for a significant percentage of the legal fees for their dispute with Everton.
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Officials had attempted to force Everton to pay the full £4.9m bill for the PSR case which saw the Merseyside club deducted 10 points, which were later reduced to six on appeal.
However, it was later ruled that Everton were liable for only around a third of the fee at £1.7m, with the Premier League forced to cover the remaining £3.2m.
Topics: Manchester City, Premier League, FFP, UEFA, Football
Rory O'Callaghan