Manchester City are said to probably face an effective relegation from the Premier League into the English Football League if they are found guilty of their alleged financial rule breaches.
That verdict comes amid claims City will be made an example of to act as a deterrent for the rest of football should they be found to have breached the rules. However, any suggestions that the EFL would refuse to accept City into the Championship, League One or League Two appear misplaced per the league's rulebook.
In the allegedly most likely outcome of a points deduction, they would purportedly receive a penalty around six times as severe as Everton's initial punishment for breaching profitability and sustainability rules. Football finance expert Kieran Maguire has made those claims in episode four of the Football on Trial: The Manchester City Charges podcast on BBC Radio 5 Live.
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"A points deduction would be the most likely outcome should the club be found guilty," Maguire said. "As for the quantum of points deduction, if Everton were initially given a 10 points deduction for going around about £10/12 million over the limits in one particular season, I think, in order to set an example to the rest of football, it's got to act as a deterrent."
Maguire also offered his view on the probable size of any points deduction. "We'll probably be looking at somewhere in the region of 60 to 100 points," he said, "which would effectively guarantee relegation out of the Premier League and into the lower tiers of football in the EFL."
Maguire also acknowledged it appears City would have to be accepted by the EFL. "There has been a suggestion that the EFL might refuse to accept Manchester City in terms of its competition, but looking at their rulebook, I don't think that is feasible," he explained.
