Man City Cannot Be Relegated To The EFL If Found Guilty Of FFP Breach – Kieran Maguire

Manchester City cannot be relegated to League Two in their FFP case, Football finance expert, Kieran Maguire has said. He recently had his say while speaking to the press, and fans have been reacting.

According to him, he does not think MCFC can be relegated to the EFL because it will be a Premier League punishment if they are found guilty, and the EPL doesn’t control the EFL.

Kieran added that any potential punishment would simply have to be so severe in terms of points deductions that it would effectively guarantee relegation.

His words, “What I’ve heard from a few parties already, and I’ve spoken to a few people, is that it could be that there will be conclusion as to whether Manchester City are guilty or not guilty of individual charges. But the punishment might not be included in this initial report.

I think that, in my personal view, is that it creates more problems than solutions. It will just lead to a social media meltdown. It will create expectations. If Manchester City are only found guilty of non-cooperation with the Premier League investigation and I think we can expect something in line with what we saw from UEFA. In that it will be a fiscal penalty.

If Manchester City are found guilty of misrepresentation, which is effectively corporate fraud, then I think we have to be looking at a significant points deduction. On the basis that, again, if you read the commission reports for Nottingham Forest and Everton, they stressed that they were minor breaches of the rules. What Manchester City is being accused of, is effectively fraud over a longer period of time. So therefore, the punishment has to be scaled appropriately.

I don’t think they can relegate the club as such, because this is a Premier League punishment.

The Premier League doesn’t control the EFL, so therefore the commission would have to set a tariff – a punishment that will be so severe in terms of points deductions that it would effectively guarantee relegation. But they can’t do what we saw with Rangers and the SPFL and relegate them to League Two or similar.”

WOW.