Ferran Soriano Tells Rival Executives Manchester City's Premier League Case Is Not Finished

Manchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano delivered a defiant response to executives from rival teams regarding the club’s guilty findings on most Premier League charges. The club was found guilty on 114 of the 115 charges filed by the Premier League, and an independent panel is now tasked with deciding the penalty. Soriano, however, stressed that the dispute is not nearing its end. At a board meeting of European Football Clubs in Copenhagen, he told fellow executives that Manchester City firmly rejected the panel’s conclusions. He stated the club would do everything possible to reverse them via an appeal and, if needed, additional legal steps. "It has taken eight years to get here – and it’s going to take a lot more time," Soriano reportedly said, according to The Times. The independent commission is anticipated to hold a sanctions hearing in the next few weeks, and the Premier League may propose the punishment it thinks appropriate. A points deduction is one option among potential sanctions; the commission could also weigh a fine, a transfer ban, or, in the most severe case, removal from the Premier League. English football is already discussing whether a large enough points deduction might in practice send City down. City is also expected to contest any punishment and may cite Chelsea’s recent case as part of its defence.