By Adegboyega Adeleye
Rival Premier League clubs are calling for Manchester City to face a range of punishments, including title stripping and transfer bans, if the club’s appeal against its financial breaches verdict fails, according to the BBC.
An independent commission found Manchester City guilty of all charges relating to breaches of the Premier League’s financial regulations between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons.
City have appealed against the verdict.
However, sources told BBC Sport that a number of Premier League clubs want any eventual sanctions to cover both the period in which the breaches occurred and City’s future participation in the competition.
There is also a feeling in at least four Premier League boardrooms that a single points deduction resulting in relegation to the Championship would not be sufficient punishment given the scale of the findings.
One senior club source said City should be stripped of the titles they won during the period covered by the verdict.
The source added that there was “no great rush” among clubs to redistribute the trophies, but rather to take the honours away and leave them vacant.
The source warned that the credibility of the Premier League would be undermined if City were allowed to retain the eight major trophies they won during the period in which they were found guilty of the breaches.
However, BBC Sport said it had previously been told there was little appetite among some other clubs for City to be stripped of their titles, highlighting the differing views across the league.
On future sanctions, some Premier League figures believe a points deduction imposed in only one season would amount to a “bump in the road” for City, given the likelihood of the club returning to the top flight at the first opportunity.
As a result, some clubs believe any points deduction should be spread over multiple seasons.
There is also support in some quarters for transfer bans covering several windows, which could make it harder for City to rebuild and return to the Premier League quickly if they are relegated.
One club source described it as “bizarre, almost obtuse” if City were allowed to operate in the January transfer window while the process remained ongoing and sanctions had yet to be imposed.
Another proposal being discussed is a “tariff-based system”, under which City’s past league finishing positions could be adjusted through a points deduction.
Rival clubs could then receive compensation from City based on where they would have finished compared with their actual positions.
City have consistently maintained their innocence and are challenging the independent commission’s findings through an appeal.
Meanwhile, BBC Sport understands City manager Enzo Maresca will address his players collectively after they return from international duty on Thursday, ahead of Sunday’s Premier League meeting with Liverpool at Anfield.
The match will be City’s first since the verdict became public.
Merseyside Police said it had received queries about the fixture and confirmed it would have “an appropriate policing operation in place on the day”.
Liverpool sources told BBC Sport the club was treating the fixture as “business as usual”, with no additional measures planned.
One source said supporters had “the right to express their feelings” but hoped they would not overstep the mark.
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