Manchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano has told representatives of other clubs that the club will continue to contest the Premier League charges against it, according to BBC Sport. Soriano reportedly made the comments during a board meeting of European Football Clubs, formerly known as the European Club Association, in……
Manchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano has told representatives of other clubs that the club will continue to contest the Premier League charges against it, according to BBC Sport.
Soriano reportedly made the comments during a board meeting of European Football Clubs, formerly known as the European Club Association, in Copenhagen ahead of the organisation’s general assembly on Tuesday.
The City chief executive is understood to have maintained that the club would vigorously defend itself against the allegations and that the legal process was still far from reaching its conclusion.
The Press Association reported Soriano told the executives “it’s taken eight years to get here and it’s going to take a lot more time”, referring to the start of the Premier League’s investigation in 2018.
He then left the meeting without answering any questions from the media.
The report added Manchester United’s chief of international football relations Jean-Claude Blanc and Everton owner Dan Friedkin – there in his capacity as owner of Roma – were among those to attend.
City were accused of a wide range of rule breaches, centering around claims they inflated sponsorship revenue from connected companies and made other “off the books” payments to circumvent financial regulations.
On Friday, it emerged they had been found guilty of the vast majority of the 115 charges brought against them.
Premier League clubs are seeking legal advice about compensation relating to the charges, while BBC Sport has been told City will appeal.
Sanctions are yet to be announced, but repercussions could include a points deduction, expulsion from the top flight or a huge fine.
The Premier League has declined to comment, while City released a statement saying the “Premier League process remains ongoing with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality”.
Chairman Al Mubarak told supporters on Saturday he was confident the club would prove their innocence.
“The Premier League process still has a long way to run, and our confidence and intent in proving the club’s innocence is just as strong as when this began,” he said.
“There are so many things that I would like to be able to share with you to help you understand why we feel so confident in our position.
“But the strict confidentiality of the legal process and our determination to respect it means I cannot do that at the moment. Even this letter underwent several legal checks to make sure it complies.”
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