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Man City have been given an ‘expected appeal decision date’ as they look to overturn the guilty verdict in their FFP case, according to reports.
The Citizens were found guilty over the recent international break of 114 of their 115 charges after being accused of breaches of the Premier League’s financial fair play rules.
Man City continue to deny any wrongdoing and have appealed the verdict – but there has already been speculation about the punishments they could face.
It has been unclear exactly when Man City will hear the result of their appeal but there have been some suggestions from Sky Sports that the Citizens could look to delay the process.
But now Football Insider have revealed an ‘expected appeal decision date’ with the report adding: ‘Manchester City are expected to learn the outcome of their appeal against the 114 breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules in February or March, sources have told Football Insider.’
A fine to expulsion from the Premier League and Football League have been discussed as potential options but Football Insider insists that ‘a hefty points deduction will be the minimum expected outcome’.
The website claims: ‘Should Man City be unable to fight off all or most of the Premier League’s charges, a hefty points deduction will be the minimum expected outcome.
‘A precedent has already been set in the cases of Everton and Nottingham Forest, who both breached the financial rules.’
Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher have called on the process to be resolved as soon as possible to protect the current season from turning into a farce.
Neville reflected on his Sky Sports podcast: “We’re sat here not knowing what it means. City supporters will be delighted [with the win], but I don’t think they recognise right now the stain, the stigma and the damage this is going to do to them.
“Liverpool fans are singing ‘going down’, they’re shouting ‘cheats’ and you can’t get away from that.”
Carragher added: “In some ways, the feeling around Manchester City will only grow the more they win. It will keep growing and growing around the country. We need a resolution as soon as possible. We’re watching a game today, but what does it actually mean?”
Neville continued: “There was a banner over in that far corner which I thought was devastating – ‘A generation of supporters have been cheated’. I thought you know, that will be the mood around the country, that for 10-15 years they’ve been cheated.
“We should be absolutely eulogising over a performance like that, where they’ve come through and withstood a really difficult opening spell – which is always the case here at Anfield – and then gone on to come out on top.
“But there’s a ‘but’, isn’t there? And we’re sat here not knowing what this means.
“We know that Manchester City go three points clear at the top of the league but there’s a feeling that ultimately this is not going to be where Manchester City finish.
“It does feel different. There is a ‘but’, there is a sort of shadow hanging over it – there’s a dark cloud that you know has got a load of rain in it, and a massive storm, and you just don’t know when it’s going to burst but you know it’s coming.”