Man City send message to staff in ‘urgent meetings’ as club declare war on Premier League

Manchester City are ready to declare war on the Premier League after being charged with 115 breaches of financial rules on Monday.

Pep Guardiola’s side want to put the matter to bed ‘once and for all’ amid an explosive climax to a four-year investigation that started in 2018.

In the biggest scandal in Premier League history, Man City have been accused of failing to provide ‘accurate financial information that gives a true and fair view of the club’s financial position’.

They are also alleged to have failed to provide full details of Roberto Mancini’s salary when he was manager at the Etihad Stadium from 2009 and 2013 and player wages from 2010 to 2016.

According to the Mail, City reacted quickly to the bombshell allegations, holding urgent staff meetings at the Etihad on Monday afternoon.

The Citizens are said to believe their ‘whole being’ is at stake and will do whatever it takes to clear their name from wrongdoing.

They have insisted they have ‘irrefutable evidence’ that the accusations are unjust and are confident that they will come out on top, privately relaying such to club staff.

The Premier League judicial panel will now appoint a three-person independent commission formed of retired judges, barristers and football administrators to investigate City’s alleged breaches.

Chaired by Murray Rosen QC, they will rule on the charges in a private hearing. Despite calls from clubs to reach a verdict before the end of the season, the saga’s conclusion is likely to be ‘years away’.

City were somewhat blindsided by the onslaught from the Premier League, only learning of the charges when a courier delivered legal papers to the Etihad on Sunday morning.

And they won’t be able to appeal against any decision the commission makes to the Court of Arbitration of Sport, who overturned the club’s two-year Champions League ban from UEFA in 2020.