Leading clubs calling for Man City to be kicked out of Premier League

The Premier League issued a statement on its website announcing the club – who have won the competition six times since 2011 – had been referred to an independent commission in respect of a series of alleged breaches of rules related to club finances.

The alleged breaches concerned the reporting of accurate financial information, the submission of details of manager and player pay information within the relevant contracts, a club’s responsibility as a Premier League member to adhere to UEFA’s Financial Fair Play regulations and to the league’s own profitability and sustainability regulations.

The club are also alleged to have breached rules requiring them to co-operate and assist with the Premier League’s investigation into those breaches, which the league says began in December 2018.

Manchester City issued a statement expressing surprise at the announcement of the alleged rule breaches, which referred to “extensive engagement” with the Premier League on the matter. The club also said they held “irrefutable evidence” in support of their position.

Premier League rule W.51 covers the sanctioning powers available to commissions should alleged breaches of league rules be found proven.

These range from a reprimand, through the deduction of points up to a recommendation to the league to expel a club from the competition.

Now it has emerged that several of City’s rivals are calling for heavy punishments, with Sky Sports confirming the scale of the alleged rule breaches could lead to huge punishments.

"The clubs who had been pressing hardest for action until Monday were some other members of the so-called 'big six' - which includes Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham,” stated Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol.

“There is a feeling that taking away City's titles retrospectively would be meaningless and cause confusion, but a fine is also not likely to have much of an effect.”

Lord Pannick KC is set to defend Man City again, according to The Lawyer - an online magazine on the global legal sector.

He also defended them in their UEFA FFP appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in 2020.