CORNERFLICK
Manchester City’s financial case could yet reach beyond points deductions and title sanctions to the club’s ownership, after the head of England’s new football regulator said the Abu Dhabi owners may have to go if governance concerns are proven.
What the regulator can do
David Kogan, chair of the Independent Football Regulator, said on The Rest Is Football podcast that the body would have the power to pursue an owner if it judged a club was not being run properly. Asked what would happen if an owner refused to sell, he said the IFR would have “absolute power” to take the issue forward.
City are still appealing against the independent commission’s ruling on 114 financial charges brought by the Premier League in February 2023. The club was found guilty in September of almost all the allegations, though it rejects the verdict.
Why the case matters
The commission said City overstated commercial income by about £900 million through arrangements it deemed fabricated. Possible punishments have ranged from a significant points deduction to relegation, although none has been formally announced.
Kogan also said it was too early to draw conclusions. The IFR has not opened any investigation into City, and he said it would be a “big mistake” to predict what happens next while the appeal is still live.