This could be catastrophic for the club
Manchester City could be expelled from all competitions if they are found guilty of the 115 charges the club are facing.
City have been the centre of talk in the football world since the hearing was announced, with many rumours circulating the club could face a heavy points deduction or even relegation from the Premier League.
Now, as per the Telegraph, the Sky Blues could also risk being expelled from all competitions including the FA Cup, Carabao Cup, Champions League and Club World Cup.
It is understood the expulsion from domestic competitions are more likely although there is no certainty they would be allowed to compete in Europe.
The Telegraph have previously reported that fellow Premier League clubs do not believe that a one-off points deduction will be enough punishment to equate to the offences the club are accused of.
Therefore, if the club are found guilty of the worst punishment, certain rules and terms could come into play.
The risk of City being kicked-out of domestic competition is compounded by the rules that concern cup competitions.
Clause 31 of the FA Cup’s rules states: “Where a club has been admitted to participate in the competition but is then removed from the league in which it competes (or its league fixtures are suspended), the Professional Game Board [PGB] may remove the club from the competition.”
This gives an indication to the kind of punishment the cups could impose on Man City if they are expelled from the league.
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The PGB is made up of representatives of the Premier League and English Football League.
Meanwhile, the EFL Cup rules define participating clubs as “each member from time to time of the league and each member from time to time of the Premier League”.
Concerning playing in Europe, clubs are required to have a UEFA club license to compete in European competitions.
These licenses are issued by UEFA, the FA and the Premier League, therefore it is uncertain how this process could be disrupted by City being expelled from the league.
On a more practical basis, if City find themselves out of the league, the long gaps between playing in Europe could prove detrimental.
Tensions will be high if City are indeed punished harshly and remain in these competitions, leaving rivals questioning how a guilty club can still compete.
City continue to deny their wrongdoing and claim to have a “comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence” to fight their case, while the club “look forward to this matter being put to rest once and for all”.
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