Since Pep Guardiola joined Man City, he’s overseen an incredible period of consistent success.
Just like the time that the Catalan spent at Barcelona and Bayern Munich, most seasons have ended with a trophy or two.
With 115 charges hanging over them for apparent breaches in Financial Fair Play, however, it can’t be ignored that the Premier League outfit have seemingly pushed the boundaries in terms of winning at all costs.
Pep Guardiola could leave Man City at just the right time
Of course, the club remain innocent until proven guilty, and Guardiola is believed to have always maintained that he would walk out if he felt the club had lied to him over anything.
According to ex-West Ham striker turned pundit, Frank McAvennie, the current Man City boss is likely to have left before any of the charges are heard and punishments metered out anyway.
“It’s all different, stupid things just mounting up. That’s the 115 charges,” he said to Football Insider.
“Pep has got one year left on his contract and these charges won’t get dropped until he leaves, that’s for sure.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if they won another league and then it’ll be in court.
“The lawyers will just keep burying it, burying it, burying it until the laws change. It’s unfortunate for the wee clubs that couldn’t do that, but Man City can.
“There’s no point moaning about it, you’ve just got to get on with it and not let it get to you.”
It’s an interesting take and does bring the sheer amount of charges against the Premier League champions front and centre.
The scale of any potential wrong doing means that it can’t just be a case of everything else being put on hold by the powers that be.
Each file needs to be pored over with a fine-toothed comb before any findings are delivered.
The issue that the Premier League are likely to find further down the line is even if they do find City guilty of some or all of the 115 charges, it’s abundantly clear that they will appeal any sanctions, and that too will take time.
In many respects, the fact that the Premier League allowed the situation to develop as it has is entirely their fault anyway.
Given the punishments that have already been handed out to Nottingham Forest and Everton were reasonably severed for one or two issues, the expectation will be that City are treated accordingly – another area where the Premier League will find themselves under considerable scrutiny.
