Manchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano has issued a defiant message to the executives of other teams about the club being found guilty of a majority of Premier League charges.
city were found guilty on 114 of the 115 charges brought against them by the Premier League, and an independent commission is now set to determine the appropriate punishment.
However, Soriano made it clear that the matter is far from over.
Speaking at a board meeting of European Football Clubs in Copenhagen, the City chief told fellow executives that the club strongly disagreed with the commission’s findings.
He said they would make every effort to overturn them through an appeal and potentially further legal challenges.
“It has taken eight years to get here – and it’s going to take a lot more time,” Soriano reportedly said (via The Times).
The independent commission is expected to hold a sanctions hearing in the coming weeks, and the Premier League can recommend the punishment it believes should be imposed.
A points deduction is among the possible sanctions, while the commission could also consider a fine, transfer ban or, in the most extreme scenario, expulsion from the Premier League.
English football is already debating whether a sufficiently severe points deduction could effectively relegate City.
City are also expected to challenge any punishment and could point to Chelsea’s recent case in their defence.
