FA speaks out on City verdict as sanctions hearing looms within weeks

📰 Following the guilty verdict against Manchester City, the Football Association has issued an official statement saying it will act if necessary, with a hearing to decide the sanctions also approaching. 📌 Key points 🗣️ The FA said the ruling has significant implications for the integrity of the game. ⚖️ City were found guilty on 114 of the 115 charges. 🔁 City lodged an appeal against the ruling on 1 October. 🗓️ The Times expects the sanctions hearing to take place within weeks. 📉 A financial expert sees a 50-60 point deduction as the most likely outcome. 📝 What happened ⚖️ The Premier League's independent commission found City guilty on 114 of 115 charges of breaching financial rules between 2009-10 and 2017-18. These included sham contracts with commercial partners, off-the-books payments to players and staff, and failure to cooperate with the league's investigation. 🗣️ On 2 October, the FA issued a short statement saying it was carefully reviewing the decision and its implications and would take action where appropriate. It added, however, that with proceedings ongoing between the league and City, it would refrain from further comment and monitor the situation closely. 🔁 City submitted their appeal just before the deadline on 1 October. The club claim the ruling contains clear and serious errors of law, principle and fact. The appeal will be heard within 12 weeks, with a decision due within 30 days after that. 📉 There is also a separate hearing to determine the sanctions. CityXtra, citing The Times, reported that the hearing will take place within weeks rather than months. According to SportBible, football finance expert Kieran Maguire expects a deduction of 50-60 points and a fine of £50m-£60m, and believes anything over 70 points would effectively mean relegation. 📊 By the numbers • Charges proven: 114 of 115 • Period of breaches: 2009-10 to 2017-18 • Appeal timeline: heard within 12 weeks, decision within 30 days after • Expert's predicted deduction: 50-60 points (over 70 effectively means relegation) 🔭 Why it matters That the FA, which governs English football as a whole and not just the league, has issued an official position shows the weight of this case. CityXtra listed the possible range of sanctions as fines, points deductions, a transfer ban and even expulsion from competitions. The sanctions hearing and the appeal are expected to run in parallel from here. Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has said he remains confident of proving the club's innocence, so this fight looks set to go on for some time.