10 months ago
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Manchester City WILL be relegated from the Premier League if they are found guilty of FFP charges - but that is a big if.
That is the verdict of former City financial adviser Stefan Borson, who spoke to talkSPORT about the impending case surrounding the Premier League champions.
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City could find themselves in serious hot water after being charged with breaching 115 Financial Fair Play rules over an eight-year period.
It has coincided with the club blossoming into the dominant force of English football from the 2010/11 and 2017/18 football seasons.
There had been talk that City could have their Premier League titles stripped during this period - having won the league in 2012, 2014 and 2018.
And there is even the possibility of relegation, though Borson cannot see such a situation happening.
Speaking to talkSPORT, the former City financial adviser said: "The scale is on a completely different level [to Everton and Nottingham Forest].
"There can be no question that, if these charges are proven, this will end in at least relegation. There is the suggestion of conspiracy over, effectively, a ten-year period.
"If proven, this is super serious. Nobody would argue with that. City will say, I promise you, that this is an allegation of the most serious nature.
"It seems to me to be highly unlikely that the conduct is alleged has taken place over a ten-year period with the sorts of individuals that are involved in the club and in the companies that are involved.
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"It will be a very big call for any court or tribunal to suggest that this number of people have been dishonest, and perjured themselves.
"That would be a massive call for, effectively, some KCs and maybe a former finance director of a football club, to make against not just Manchester City, but against numerous executives, against third party individuals, and against, of course, potentially senior members of foreign states."
There have been calls for Premier League chief Richard Masters to be more transparent over what is happening with City behind the scenes.
Especially after charges against Everton and Nottingham Forest have been brought forward this season, with the Toffees seeing ten points deducted.
City were charged with breaching 115 FFP rules close to a year ago and have yet to be hit with any punishment while they went on to win the treble last season.
Speaking about Masters, Borson added: "There are strict confidentiality clauses within the Premier League rules so I assume that is what he had in mind when he said he can't comment when it is.
"But there is a ludicrous situation that we have right now where we have this situation ongoing and at some point at some day that nobody knows exactly when, an announcement is going to drop, again, we don't know whether it is going to be the morning or the afternoon, that, I would say, completely change Premier League football."
A date has been pencilled to hear City's case but Masters refused to shed light on when this is.
