Former Manchester City Advisor Says Club Can Possibly Be 'Relegated' if Found Guilty of FFP Charges

From treble winners to getting relegated? This might just be a possibility for the reigning champions Manchester City, according to their former financial advisor.

Stefan Borson, who used to be the financial advisor for the club, has warned that the club can face relegation if found guilty of over a hundred charges of financial wrongdoing by the Premier League.

Borson claims that the charges raised against the club are on a ‘ completely different scale’ to the rest of the league and even said that relegation might possibly be the least of their worries.

Manchester City are currently facing a host of accusations regarding their finances between 2009 and 2018. It is also suggested that Man City failed to co-operate with resultant investigations.

Richard Masters, the Premier League’s CEO, said on Tuesday that a date had been set for proceedings to be heard in a sports tribunal. He didn’t disclose that date, however.

The league has accused City of about 80 alleged breaches of its financial rules and 30 more relating to its alleged failure to cooperate with an investigation. The charges were announced in February last year.

If found guilty, penalties could include a deduction of points or as Borson put it, even expulsion from the Premier League.

Speaking on talkSPORT, Borson stated, “The scale is on a completely different level [to Everton and Forest]. There can be no question that this will end in at least relegation – that’s no question, if those charges are proven.

“There’s a suggestion of conspiracy over effectively a 10-year period. They [ Premier League ] are suggesting that City’s main sponsorship agreements are not for £50-60m but are actually for £8m and the whole thing was a sham.

“That a whole load of people lied and a whole load of executives from multiple companies were in on it and that the club also lied to multiple other parties. Professionals, people doing due diligence on the company, the league, UEFA, the FA.”

“If proven, this is super serious. Nobody would argue with that. City themselves in their submission – I promise you, because they’ve said it to CAS [Court of Arbitration for Sport] – will say this is an allegation of the most serious nature.”

A need for transparency from the League is also needed at this point, especially after similar situations that arose with Nottingham Forest and Everton this season.

But, Borson states that reason for the seemingly tight-lipped nature of Masters and league executives is due to the “strict confidentiality rules” at play.

“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,” Borson added.

But, according to Borson, what can be reckoned is the possibility that the Premier League could “completely change” depending on how the verdict pans out.