Manchester City's legal battle with the Premier League has been labelled a "disaster" for English football. The former champions have appealed the ruling that found them guilty of 114 financial charges, but are expected to face severe penalties should that effort prove unsuccessful.

It emerged in September that City had been found guilty of all but one of the 115 charges brought by the Premier League. City continue to protest their innocence and promptly confirmed they had lodged an appeal, with a resolution anticipated in early 2027.

Under the Premier League's existing regulations, an appeal hearing must be concluded within 12 weeks, with the panel then afforded up to 30 days to deliver its verdict. Should their appeal be rejected, City face the possibility of a points deduction, a substantial fine and even expulsion from the top flight.

Former striker and pundit Ally McCoist finds the situation 'sad' and says that any punishment is bound to antagonise certain clubs, amid reports that rivals are pressing for the harshest possible penalties should City once again be found guilty. McCoist also addressed comparisons to the case in which Rangers were relegated through the divisions in Scotland back in 2012.

"Man City being compared to Rangers? I get the comparison a little bit," Ally McCoist said in an interview with talkSPORT Bet. "There are no real comparisons in the legalities of it, but I understand the sentiment. If City lose the appeal, no matter what happens, people will be unhappy with the level of punishment.

"Some will think it's too light, others too harsh. It leaves an overall sense of sadness more than anything else that we can't get this resolved sooner. I understand there's a legal and appeals process to go through, but it's a disaster for the English game.

"I just felt sad watching Liverpool and City have a right go at each other, or seeing three incredible goals at Anfield, and then on Monday morning we're talking about financial charges and whether goals will count. I just find that really sad."

Meanwhile, Emile Heskey, who played for Liverpool, Leicester, Birmingham and Aston Villa, has predicted that City will receive a 60-point deduction as their punishment — a sanction that would almost certainly see them relegated.

"As for the off-field legal issues and their appeal, it's so complex that it won't be resolved quickly or sorted this season," Heskey told BestBettingSites.

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"Both sides are going to throw arguments back and forth, and it could go on for a year or more. Whether it ends in a massive points deduction or relegation, nobody knows yet, but it's not getting settled straight away.

"I think they will probably get a 60-point deduction, but say City get 90-something points, or 100 – well, then they could stay up. They've got a chance.

"If they end up staying up, then I'm not sure that's the right punishment from the point of view of other clubs. They will probably go into the Championship, but people will have questions about whether they should go into League One or League Two, instead.

"I don't know what will be considered good enough, and I wouldn't be surprised if there's a bit of negotiations behind the scenes to find an outcome that's acceptable for everyone. That could go on for a year."