Javier Tebas Demands Severe Punishment For Man City Over Financial Breaches

La Liga president Javier Tebas has called for Manchester City to receive a severe punishment if the club is found guilty of breaching the Premier League’s financial rules.

Tebas made the call on Tuesday at the Peak Performance & Health Summit in London, co-hosted by FIFPRO and The Cleveland Clinic.

Naija News reports that his comments followed reports that an independent panel had found Manchester City guilty of all but one of 115 alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial regulations between 2009 and 2018.

Manchester City have consistently denied any wrongdoing, while chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak issued a defiant statement on Saturday, September 26, insisting that the club would be vindicated.

Tebas said he had raised concerns about City since 2017, when he spoke about the club at Soccerex.

“I’ve been raising concerns about Manchester City for many years. I did so in 2017 at Soccerex. I said it then; neither City nor the Premier League at the time liked it,” he said.

“Now it has been shown that there was ongoing non-compliance dating back to 2009,” he added.

The Spanish football chief said the case should serve as a turning point for football and lead to stronger enforcement of financial regulations.

“We’re trying to make football sustainable and clean across all competitions. As many clubs are saying, titles were lost that shouldn’t have been lost to other clubs. What has happened is very important, and we hope it marks a turning point, not just for the Premier League,” Tebas said.

“The Manchester City case has implications across Europe, particularly regarding financial doping. There should be a punishment that sets an example.”

Tebas also said the length of the alleged breaches should be considered when determining any sanction.

“Breaking them for more than 10 years… is very serious. The punishment should therefore be severe, not only to set an example, but because the rules were broken.”

The Premier League has yet to officially announce the verdict or any sanction against City.

Potential sanctions reportedly include heavy fines, points deductions and expulsion from the Premier League, while rival clubs are seeking legal advice over possible compensation.