FA says it could punish Manchester City but will wait for appeal outcome
The Football Association has said it could take disciplinary action against Manchester City and key individuals at the club.
It is the FA's first public comment since an independent commission found City guilty of multiple breaches of financial rules. The governing body said the decision had "significant implications for the integrity of the game" and that it "will take action where appropriate," according to The Guardian.
For now, the FA will wait. Its standard practice is to let a league's own disciplinary process run its course before deciding its next step. That means no FA decision until City's appeal is finished. Under Premier League rules, that process should conclude by the end of January.
City have now lodged that appeal. The Premier League said it was made to the chair of its independent judicial panel, the separate body that oversees disputes under league rules. The hearing will stay private and confidential until publication of the outcome is permitted. City had faced a deadline of Friday, 2 October to challenge the verdict.
The case centres on the club's finances between 2009 and 2018. The commission concluded City used what it called a "Disguised Funding Scheme" and "sham contracts" to boost income by more than £900m. The names of individuals involved were redacted, meaning blacked out, in the 40-page core judgment published this week.
The Premier League confirmed the guilty verdict in a statement titled "Premier League Statement: Manchester City FC" on its official website on 29 September, according to Premier League. The FA followed with its own statement titled "FA statement on Manchester City" on 2 October, saying it was carefully considering the commission's decision, according to The FA.
City reject the findings entirely. The club said the verdict "contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact and is unsafe". It insisted it was "innocent of the accusations" and said a "comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all of its positions".
For supporters trying to keep track, little will change on the pitch in the short term. The appeal must run first. Only then will the FA decide whether its own rules require further action against the club or any individuals.
