Man City expulsion? Fearful stars 'explore' exits as Haaland and co seek 'worst-case scenario' clarity
According to reports, Manchester City players already have their representatives ‘exploring’ a transfer away from the Etihad ‘amid the looming threat of enforced relegation’.Man City’s hearing to examine 115 Premier League charges issued against them began on Monday as lawyers arrived at London’s International Dispute Resolution Centre (IDRC).Lord Pannick KC from Blackstone Chambers, who is leading City’s legal team, was pictured arriving at the IDRC, close to St Paul’s Cathedral in central London.The hearing is reported to have been scheduled for 10 weeks, with the independent commission’s verdict not expected until the new year.The charges facing City, who won a fourth straight Premier League title in May, date back as far as the 2009-10 season.It is thought the club, who are also accused of failing to co-operate with an investigation, could face a range of punishments including a severe points penalty or even expulsion from the Premier League if found guilty.City were charged by the league in February 2023 after a long investigation into allegations published by German magazine Der Spiegel in autumn 2018.MORE MAN CITY FFP COVERAGE ON F365…👉 Man City FFP: Football finance expert predicts how many points City could lose; reveals verdict timeline👉 Ten possible punishments for Manchester City and Pep Guardiola after Premier League ‘expulsion’ claims👉 Five options for Manchester City fans after Premier League expulsionThe club deny any wrongdoing and have previously said they have a “comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence” to support their stance.City’s financial affairs have come under regular scrutiny since their takeover by Sheikh Mansour’s Abu Dhabi United Group in 2008.In 2020 they were banned from European competition after being found guilty of breaking UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rules, but successfully challenged that ruling at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.There have been lots of reports suggesting that Man City could have their titles stripped, with expulsion from the top flight not ruled out.That threat reportedly has players on red alert, with the Daily Mail claiming that ‘representatives of players in the first-team squad have begun exploring their options amid the looming threat of enforced relegation’.The report states that Pep Guardiola’s stars are ‘aware of the impact’ of expulsion from the Premier League with ‘agents trying to cover every eventuality to ensure their players are protected’.Agents want to be informed about the club’s plans and want to ‘be informed of the options open to them if the worst-case scenario occurs’, it is added.No players are named in the report but it is impossible to imagine Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne rocking up to Swindon in League Two.Uncertainty off the pitch has not negatively impacted Man City on it. They are currently top of the Premier League with four wins from four, with Erling Haaland scoring nine already.They could not kick off their Champions League campaign with a victory though, drawing 0-0 at home to Inter on Wednesday night in a repeat of the 2023 final.Next up for the champions is Arsenal at home on Sunday.It will be a tough task for Guardiola’s side but defender Ruben Dias says they are ready for the challenge.“There’s no running away from them, hiding from them, if you want to be the best as a team, individually, in this league,” Dias said.“We’re not hiding from nothing. We want them to come and we want to be the best.“The season has just started. I’d say we’re still far from our best. We were very good but we’re still progressing in quality of playing, in mentality, everything.“We were very happy with the performance. We were solid both attacking and defending and it was very minor, the difference between winning or not.“It’s another learning (curve). We have a lot to improve and we look forward for what’s coming.”👉 More: Man City news | Arsenal news | Premier League player stats in 2024/25
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