It gets worse! City were also guilty of stonewalling the investigation
The Manchester City verdict is even uglier than first reported: the club were found guilty not only of financial breaches, but also of refusing to cooperate with the investigation itself.
Details: As journalist Romain Molina points out, around 30 of the 115 Premier League charges against City related to failures to cooperate with and assist the league's investigation. The club famously resisted the process for years, at one point justifying their stance on the basis that evidence had been hacked or stolen. The commission has now found against them on virtually everything.
The non cooperation element could prove decisive when sanctions are decided. Commissions traditionally punish obstruction harshly, treating it as an aggravating factor on top of the underlying offences. City's strategy of fighting every step of the process, a war of attrition that dragged on for years, has ultimately ended in defeat on almost every front. Critics will argue that a club which obstructed the investigation for years cannot expect leniency now, while City's legal team prepares an appeal that promises to drag this saga into yet another season.
It's worth noting that the guilty verdict covers the full package: financial misreporting, profitability and sustainability rules, and obstruction. When the sanction arrives, it will punish not just what City did, but how they fought against being judged for it.
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Miguel Solomons
Dailysports's expert
