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to start the show of course with the biggest story in football, arguably the biggest story English football has ever seen. Let's remind you of the timeline of key events then for Manchester City. February 2023, the Premier League charges City with more than 100 alleged rule breaches. An independent commission then holds a hearing at the end of 2024. It then went quiet until a week and a half ago. The commission found Man City guilty on more than 100 total charges, serious breaches of financial rules, plus failing to cooperate with the investigation. The commission found that
in a nine season period, city arranged sham agreements with commercial partners with 87% of that reported income coming from their owners, not from sponsors, meaning they spent much more than would have been allowed within the Premier League and UEFA limits. So from 200910 through to 201718, City go on to spend more than $1.6 billion on transfers and win three Premier League titles. Manchester City maintain their innocence and have appealed the commission's verdict. They put the appeal in on October the 1st. Let's hear from their manager, Enzo Moresca, who was asked, of course, about this in yesterday's press conference.
there is a process ongoing uh and in this moment I completely trust uh trust the club. So this is uh this is what I can say about that. I spoke with the club for sure and we all trust and probably the right moment to speak about that is when we're going to win this appeal. I completely trust the club in this moment in the future always. Strong words from Enzo Moresca yesterday who says he trusts the club. Now the man who broke this story, our Premier League insider David Ornstein joins us live from the Emirates Stadium where Arsenal taking on Leads United. David, we've brought everyone up to date with where we are as of today. But what now, David?
What are we to look out for now? Rebecca, there are two clear strands from here on in. Manchester City have lodged their appeal. According to the Premier League's official handbook, that will now be a 12week process maximum, which would lead us to around December the 24th, 25th, merry Christmas. At the same time, there is an a sanctioning process that could be going on in the background. The appeal process will be a new threeperson uh panel of people that we have not had involved in this before. The sanctioning process will be the same independent commission that delivered Manchester City's guilty verdict. Once we have the appeal uh of the verdict done, there will be 30 days for that to be
announced. The sanctioning, we have no clear timeline. Once the sanction is handed down, there will be a period again according to the Premier League handbook where 12 weeks and then 30 days. However, this timeline is not set in stone. Because of the complex nature of the case, it could be disapplied. And the reason we don't have clarity is that this is a strictly confidential process. The punishments could range from expulsion from the Premier League, points deductions, fines, transfer bans. The independent commission has everything open to it. If it was expulsion from the Premier League, that would need to be voted upon by all of
the Premier League clubs. Any other punishment is handed down by the independent commission. Manchester City maintain their innocence. David Onstein, thank you so much. Plenty more to come from David, of course, across this weekend. I'm sure you've heard at home. It's very obvious what the fans here at FanFest think about the situation. Let's talk about sanctions. We will find out at some point, as David said, what the sanctions will be. So, I'd love to get all three of your opinion. What do you think, Robbie? The sanctions for City should be.
Okay. So, there's a few here, and I'm going to start with the most important and serious ones. For right at the top, stripping the titles of Man City for the years that there this has affected, you strip the titles of that football club. It doesn't mean anything. It does not mean the same. Secondly, you refer the City owners to the new directors and owners test with the UK football regulator. If they don't pass that test, then they're out. and you reset the finances of the football club, their commercial revenues. This isn't real what they have now. Their revenues aren't real. You try and reset it. Less important, points deduction. So, a points deduction to pretty much guarantee relegation and fines that I'm not sure this is possible to
compensate the clubs that have been affected during this time. Uh, and a transfer ban until those new kind of revenues are established. The whole point of my sanctions would be to bring back the real Man City, the genuine honest Man City as quickly as possible. Just one line on the f the fines were there to be potential fines, they would have to, as you say, be very hefty because virtually every club in the Premier League and some in the football league feel they have a case whether they've been relegated because they feel of Manchester City or missed out on a trophy or the Premier League title. Rob, your sanctions are what?
I'll follow up on Musty. This is English football's biggest scandal backs and WE CANNOT REWARD CHEAT. So you have to take the trophies away from me. That's the first thing. THEN I'VE GOT THREE P'S. THE FIRST P IS POINTS. YOU'VE GOT to take enough points that Manchester City will be relegated from the league. And I'm thinking for two seasons. One season in the Championship isn't enough. So a big points. I'm talking about pounds as Musty says a big pounds. I'm talking of hundreds of millions of dollars because that's what it's going to take to compensate the other clubs. And then people and the people are the owners of that football club who sit squarely on
their shoulders, who've cheated, who've duped us, who at the moment say they innocent. And if they are proven guilty, Rebecca, I'm questioning whether they should be allowed to still run that football club. Tim, well, I'm I'm with the lads. Look, I think there has to there has to be expulsion or relegation from the Premier League. Absolutely. A big points deduction whether that plays into it or not. 50 to 100 points and gets them relegated. The transfer ban I love what fines of course what you said about sort of regulating their books again. I mean they cook the books for nearly 10 years. That can never happen. And what all of these things if you happen to
think they're harsh and I don't. This independent commission has got to make sure they set a precedent. So the next club that thinks they can do that don't. So Tim, in that period from 2009 to 2018, three Premier League titles, three league cups, one FA Cup, not to mention since 2018, plenty of people argue that actually they wouldn't have won anything between 2018 and 2026 had they not already built everything on that foundation. When you look back though at that specific period for you, is it null and void? Yes. And remember I played in seven of those seasons and for me the gloss has come off a little bit because I we just thought they were nearly invincible and we realize now that they
were just on the other side of the line. So the glosses come off. Pep Guardiola is a brilliant manager but maybe not all that we thought it was cracked up to be. Rob, we were presented with a beautiful facade in Manchester City and we've seen some beautiful things. The reality is there was an ugly reality behind that facade and we cannot allow this club to taint the Premier League. I've worked on the Premier League all around the world and it's got great respect and Manchester City owners cannot taint that. As big as Manchester City are, this Premier League is more important. I just I'm I'm here for greatness in football. I and I've eulogized so much about this team and this manager, a series of managers, because I love what
they did. But now this changes everything for me. It changes everything. It taints everything. And most of all, I'm sad and disappointed we got to this point. Of course, they're going to appeal. We have to say that probably again, but if it if it uh it stands up, then wow, this is awful. One of the most anticipated games in the history of the Premier League, take place tomorrow. It is Liverpool against Manchester City. That game is live on NBC and Peacock. The atmosphere at Anfield will be spicy. I think that could be the understatement of the weekend. Hi there. I'm Rebecca Lowe, studio host of the Premier League on USA Sports, NBC, and Peacock. Don't forget to hit subscribe to watch more videos all season
