Man City face points deduction and lengthy appeals process, says Purslow
Former Premier League executive Christian Purslow says Manchester City face a “major points deduction” if found guilty of financial breaches, warning the process could take another year to resolve.
The independent hearing regarding the 115 alleged breaches of financial regulations has concluded, though a verdict has yet to be delivered.
Purslow, who has held senior roles at Liverpool, Chelsea and Aston Villa, believes the legal battle is far from over.
He suggests that even after a judgment is rendered, an appeals process could leave the league and the club in limbo for months.
Timeline for a final verdict
While the initial hearing has finished, the complexity of the case makes predicting a specific date for the outcome difficult.
Speaking on ‘The Football Boardroom’, the 60-year-old indicated that any guilty finding would almost certainly trigger a prolonged legal response.
“In the scenario that there are any guilty findings, Manchester City choose perfectly reasonably to appeal under Premier League appeal rules that will move forward,” said Purslow.
“That could be another three, six, nine, or 12 months at least.”
The former Anfield managing director added that sanctions would likely be paused while any such review takes place.
Warning against settlement
There has been speculation regarding a potential out-of-court settlement similar to the recent Associated Party Transaction (APT) case.
However, Purslow insisted it would be a “terrible mistake” for the Premier League to attempt to negotiate a compromise.
He argued that the integrity of the competition relies on adhering to the established independent process.
“The smart decision is, if I’m the chairman of the Premier League, let’s leave it to the lawyers,” he said.
“Let’s leave it to the process, which everybody signed up to.”
Potential sanctions
The Etihad club have steadfastly denied all allegations, which cover a nine-year period between 2009 and 2018.
During that timeframe, the reigning champions secured three Premier League titles.
Should the independent commission find against them, Purslow believes the precedent set by previous cases points toward sporting penalties rather than financial fines.
“When this is left to the judges, however frustrating it is that it takes so long, it will be in the land of precedent,” he explained.
“The precedent is sporting sanction. The sporting sanction is likely to be major points deductions, which ultimately could translate into relegation.”