Manchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano told a board meeting of European Football Clubs, the body formerly known as the European Club Association, in Copenhagen that the club's legal battle with the Premier League over 115 charges could last for years. The case is understood to be moving to the appeal stage after reports that an independent commission had found City guilty of the majority of the alleged breaches of the league's financial rules. "The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality," the club said in an official statement.
City's stance has not shifted. Soriano stressed that eight years have passed since the Premier League opened its investigation and that the club will fight to the very end to prove its innocence. His words echoed those of chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, who had told supporters in a letter that the club's confidence in its position remains as firm as it was when the legal battle began. Sanctions, to be decided in a separate process, have yet to be announced, but they could include a points deduction or expulsion from the Premier League altogether.
