'Great Chaos': Manchester City Faces No Less Than '114 Guilty Charges' — What on Earth Will Happen to the EPL? "This Is Only the Beginning," BBC Asserts

*This content was translated by AI.

'This is unprecedented chaos.' Despite being found guilty on virtually all charges related to breaches of the Premier League's Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules, Manchester City's turmoil shows no sign of abating.

On the 28th (Korean time), British media outlet 'BBC' reported: "If you thought the saga surrounding Manchester City's 115 charges was nearly over, you are mistaken." The outlet added, "The guilty verdicts from the Independent Judicial Commission mark not the end of this crisis, but merely the beginning of a massive upheaval."

Two years have passed since the hearings began. Since being indicted in February 2023, Manchester City received guilty verdicts on 114 out of 115 charges after a staggering 1,329 days. The club was found to have engaged in widespread misconduct, including failure to provide financial information, omission of detailed player and manager salary records, violations of Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR), and breaches of Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) regulations. This ruling concluded that between 2009 and 2018, the club inflated sponsorship revenues and made off-book secret payments to circumvent financial regulations while acquiring expensive players, thereby distorting the league.

However, the Premier League office itself has maintained official silence. Manchester City, without commenting on its guilt or innocence, has taken a basic stance that proceedings are ongoing and announced it will appeal. Consequently, the local football community is plunged into extreme confusion regarding future scenarios.

The first scenario analyzed by 'BBC' is one where sanction results are not announced within this season. Unlike Chelsea, which voluntarily reported its violations and reached a disciplinary agreement with the league office, Manchester City has steadfastly denied all charges. A sanctions hearing to determine the severity of penalties may not be held for several months, and the announcement of results could remain confidential until all appeal procedures are completed.

Controversy over unfairness is inevitable. Compared to Everton, which received a six-point deduction (reduced from an original 10 points) plus an additional two-point deduction for a simple PSR violation, and Nottingham Forest, which was penalized with four points deducted, Manchester City's scale of violations makes massive point deductions or even relegation unavoidable. If matches proceed without any disciplinary action throughout this season, and Manchester City wins the league title or the fate of teams fighting relegation is decided before sanctions are applied retroactively, the competition's credibility would suffer irreparable damage.

The second and third scenarios involve immediate sanctions being imposed mid-season. While point deductions could be applied immediately as per convention, clashes with Manchester City's appeal process may intensify legal disputes among clubs over when final standings will be reflected. It is also not impossible that sanctions are delayed until after April of next year at the season's end, or that Manchester City wins its appeal, similar to how it overturned UEFA's two-year Champions League ban in July 2020 through an appeal.

Regardless of how disciplinary measures conclude, the most devastating consequence will be a wave of damages lawsuits from rival clubs. According to 'BBC', numerous Premier League clubs are already seeking legal advice to file individual or collective lawsuits against Manchester City. A clear precedent was set last June when Burnley won a court ruling for 35 million pounds (approximately 62 billion won) in compensation after suffering relegation due to Everton's PSR violations.

Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, and Tottenham Hotspur have already preserved their right to claim damages from two years ago. Kieran McGuire, a football finance professor at Liverpool University, told 'BBC', "The affected clubs will argue that they were deprived of opportunities due to Manchester City's misconduct."

Although the Independent Judicial Commission's guilty verdicts have opened Pandora's box, with point deductions, title stripping, relegation, and astronomical damages lawsuits all intertwined, the chaos surrounding the Premier League is expected to drag on for years.

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*This content was translated by AI.