Gary Neville believes the ownership group at Manchester City will find it very difficult to "retain their status" at the club should the Premier League's ruling over financial breaches still stand following appeal.
The club confirmed on Friday that it has lodged a "comprehensive" appeal to refute the guilty verdict handed down by an independent commission, detailing large-scale financial rule breaking over a nine-year period. According to the Premier League, potential sanctions could include a fine, points deduction or, in the worst possible case, expulsion from the competition.
Neville, a co-owner of Salford City in the EFL, says the only appropriate course of action would be to review whether City's owners adhere to the regulatory vetting laws set out by the league, adding their alleged actions have "dragged English football through the mud." He said: "It's hard to see how the Man City owners can comply with the owners' and directors' test in this country if the verdict remains."
The investigatory panel found that City had artificially inflated its revenue by more than £900m to circumvent financial fair-play rules. Neville added: "The Premier League is our greatest export around the world, and now it's being dragged through the mud because the very best team over the last 15 years, as we stand, are guilty of winning titles inappropriately. That's devastating."
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing