This is very disturbing. But the rules have to be followed:
Man City relegation odds slashed ahead of verdict over 115 charges
Bookmakers appear to be preparing for the worst for Man City ahead of the verdict on 115 charges of breaching financial rules, with relegation odds slashed.
A hearing over
Man City‘s financial charges by the
Premier League is expected to be held before the end of the year, with a verdict slated for 2025.
It remains to be seen how the club could be punished if found guilty of any or all of their 115 breaches, but the possibility of relegation has been floated.
That is an eventuality that bookmakers are considering, with odds of
Man City dropping down to at least the Championship at the end of next season being slashed.
Man City are currently
25/1 to be relegated from the
Premier League, with six clubs considered more likely to retain their place in the top flight.
Liverpool and
Arsenal have the longest odds at 2000/1, with
Man United and
Tottenham next at 250/1,
Newcastle at 150/1 and
Aston Villa at 100/1.
That
Man City are considered at risk of relegation among bookmakers comes despite Pep Guardiola’s side lifting a fourth consecutive title at the weekend.
Realistically, there is no chance of
Man City exiting the
Premier League on performance, with the shortening of odds coming due to the threat of sanctions if found guilty.
There will be no inside knowledge of the situation, of course, though bookmakers’ odds are typically reflective of betting trends.
Man City’s 115 charges explained
Man City are facing
54 charges of failing to provide accurate financial information for seasons 2009/10 to 2017/18 and
14 charges of failing to provide accurate details for player and manager payments from the same period.
There are
five charges of failing to comply with UEFA’s rules including FFP from 2013/14 to 2017/18 and
seven charges of breaching
Premier League‘s PSR rules between 2015/16 and 2017/18.
The remaining
35 charges are for failure to cooperate with
Premier Leagueinvestigations from December 2018 to February 2023.
Per
BBC Sport, the independent commission tasked with overseeing the case has “limitless powers,” which means
Man City “could be kicked out of the
Premier League or have a massive fine imposed – or both.”
“Alternatively, they might suffer a huge points deduction imposed at a specific time, including at the start of a new season,” a recent report explains.
“However, any of these require a guilty verdict. Clearly, City argue they are innocent and nothing should happen.”
Bookmakers are preparing for major sanctions.
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