Man City chief Ferran Soriano warns European club executives they will aggressively fight against Premier League charges

Manchester City chief executive officer Ferran Soriano has reportedly told European club executives that the club will fight aggressively to clear their name.

City were found guilty on 114 of the 115 charges brought against them by the Premier League, and an independent commission is now set to determine the appropriate punishment.

However, Soriano made it clear that the matter is far from over.

Speaking at a board meeting of European Football Clubs in Copenhagen, the City chief told fellow executives that the club strongly disagreed with the commission’s findings.

“It has taken eight years to get here – and it’s going to take a lot more time,” Soriano said (via the Times).

The independent commission is expected to hold a sanctions hearing in the coming weeks, and the Premier League can recommend the punishment it believes should be imposed.

A points deduction is among the possible sanctions, while the commission could also consider a fine, transfer ban or expulsion from the Premier League.

English football is already debating whether a sufficiently severe points deduction could effectively relegate City.

However, such a punishment would have major consequences for the league, as their top players would leave if City drop out of the top flight.

City are also expected to challenge any punishment and could point to Chelsea’s recent case in their defence.

They received financial penalties after breaches dating back to the Roman Abramovich era, although their cooperation with the investigation was considered a mitigating factor.

City have insisted that the Premier League process is ongoing and that they have respected due process throughout the eight-year investigation.

Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said they will continue to fight to prove their innocence.