Manchester City reportedly believe manager Pep Guardiola will leave the club before any potential punishments for breaching numerous financial rules.
The Premier League disclosed on Monday that, after a four-year investigation, the Citizens have been charged with breaking more than 100 financial rules.
The charges against the reigning Premier League champions concern financial information, details of manager and player remuneration within relevant contracts, UEFA regulations, profitability and sustainability, and cooperation with Premier League investigations.
Man City have denied the allegations, which are said to have occurred between 2009-10 and 2017-18, and have issued a statement expressing their “surprise” given the “irrefutable evidence” in support of their position.
If the independent commission find Man City guilty of the violations, they could face unprecedented sanctions such as transfer bans, fines, point deductions, or expulsion from the Premier League.
According to the Daily Mail, members of Man City’s backroom staff expect Guardiola to have left the Etihad Stadium before any possible sanctions are imposed on the club.
According to the report, Guardiola was one of the first senior figures at City to be informed of the charges by the Premier League before the news broke on Monday morning.
UEFA fined the Citizens £25m and barred them from the Champions League for two years in February 2020 for “serious breaches” of club licensing and financial fair play regulations between 2012 and 2016.
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Guardiola has always stood by City in the aftermath of the allegations, but last season he vowed to resign if he discovered that club executives had ‘lied’ to him about the club’s financial dealings.
Manchester City are currently second in the Premier League table, five points behind leaders Arsenal, who have a game in hand.
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