Manchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano has assured other clubs’ executives that City will “carry on fighting” the Premier League allegations, because the saga “has a long way to go.”
Soriano said this during a board meeting of European Football Clubs in Copenhagen prior to the general assembly on Tuesday.
Soriano was quoted by the Press Association as telling colleagues: “We’ve only taken 8 years to reach this point, and it’s going to be a lot more before we start racing ahead” when the Premier League’s investigation began in 2018.
City were convicted on most of the 115 charges against them. The charges and allegations included the overriding claim that City manipulated sponsorship revenue and made payments that breached financial rules.
The club will reportedly appeal, and Premier League clubs are believed to be consulting lawyers to see if they are entitled to damages.
Although no sanctions have been declared, the club faces the prospect of a points deduction, a heavy fine or expulsion from the Premier League.
Soriano did not speak to the media as he left the meeting.
City insisted that the Premier League procedure continues and some major parts of it still have to be finished in complete secrecy.
Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has also joined other club executives in declaring the club is confident it can clear its name.
“Premier League has a long journey ahead of it, and the same level of confidence and intent in clearing the club’s name remains now, as it did when we first initiated this investigation,” Al Mubarak added.
The Premier League has refused to comment until City has been through the next part of the process.
